Birds of Shap
What has actually been seen around Shap: 104 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 104 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 827 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Common Buzzard
- Busiest month
- June
- Elevation
- 261 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.3 h / 7.3 h
What the records say about Shap
104 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Shap (Cumbria) since 2010, across 827 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Common Buzzard, Jackdaw and Swift.
The records split between garden birds (58%) and waterbirds (24%), so a feeder in Shap sees the familiar Jackdaw, Carrion Crow and Rook, while Northern Lapwing and others turn up on nearby water.
12 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Barn Owl. A hawk that hunts feeder birds is among them, so set feeders 2–3 metres from shrubs: close enough for cover, far enough that a cat can't ambush from it.
Records peak in June and are lowest in February — about 16.1 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.
Kirkby Thore, 13 km to the north-east, has fewer species on record (96 against 104). Birds logged far more often around Shap than there include Meadow Pipit, Common Kestrel, Black-headed Gull and Eurasian Oystercatcher.
At about 261 m above sea level, Shap sits higher than most places in Cumbria. Spring arrives a little later with height, and feeders matter more in cold snaps — keep a supply of high-fat food going through late winter.
Daylight runs from 17 h 16 min at midsummer to 7 h 16 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:10 in mid-April and 4:33 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Shap
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 33 |
| 2 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 32 |
| 3 | SwiftApus apus | 31 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 31 |
| 5 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 29 |
| 6 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 28 |
| 7 | Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis | 26 |
| 8 | Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus | 23 |
| 9 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 21 |
| 10 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 20 |
| 11 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 20 |
| 12 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 20 |
| 13 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 19 |
| 14 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 18 |
| 15 | Barn OwlTyto alba | 18 |
| 16 | Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensis | 18 |
| 17 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 17 |
| 18 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 17 |
| 19 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 17 |
| 20 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 17 |
Records by month
What to put out in Shap
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 Shap?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Shap are Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Rook, Barn Swallow and Meadow Pipit, based on 827 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Shap?
104 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Shap?
Observation records peak in June and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 4:33.
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.