Birds of Longtown
What has actually been seen around Longtown: 138 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 138 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 9,085 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Mallard
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 19 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.4 h / 7.2 h
What the records say about Longtown
138 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Longtown (Cumbria) since 2010, across 9,085 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Mallard, Carrion Crow and Black-headed Gull.
Water shapes this list. 45% of records near Longtown are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Mallard, Black-headed Gull and Common Merganser lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Carrion Crow is still the most logged garden bird.
10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard.
Records peak in April and are lowest in July — about 13.8 times as many in the busiest month. Part of that is birds (migrants and winter visitors), part is people: more birders are out in good weather, so treat the curve as activity, not a census.
Gretna, 7 km to the west, has more species on record (160 against 138). Birds logged far more often around Longtown than there include Tufted Duck, Canada Goose, Eurasian Coot and Common Moorhen.
Daylight runs from 17 h 23 min at midsummer to 7 h 10 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:10 in mid-April and 4:31 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Longtown
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 320 |
| 2 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 293 |
| 3 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 270 |
| 4 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 260 |
| 5 | Common MerganserMergus merganser | 234 |
| 6 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 232 |
| 7 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 221 |
| 8 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 221 |
| 9 | Tufted DuckAythya fuligula | 213 |
| 10 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 207 |
| 11 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 204 |
| 12 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 204 |
| 13 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 202 |
| 14 | Graylag GooseAnser anser | 185 |
| 15 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 183 |
| 16 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 183 |
| 17 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 179 |
| 18 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 174 |
| 19 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 170 |
| 20 | Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope | 158 |
Records by month
What to put out in Longtown
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Cumbria
What's arriving, what to feed and when to clean feeders, written for UK gardens. One email a month at most.
Nearby places
Frequently asked
What birds visit gardens in Longtown?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Longtown are Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Blackbird and Chaffinch, based on 9,085 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Longtown?
138 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Longtown?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in July. Sunrise in late June is around 4:31.
Sources
- GBIF occurrence search (birds, class Aves, 2010 onward)
- GeoNames gazetteer (place, population, elevation)
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.