Birds of Heighington
What has actually been seen around Heighington: 89 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 89 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 1,065 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Blackbird
- Busiest month
- June
- Elevation
- 145 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.3 h / 7.3 h
What the records say about Heighington
89 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Heighington (Darlington) since 2010, across 1,065 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Blackbird, Woodpigeon and Magpie.
Heighington is a garden-bird place: 77% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Magpie and Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
7 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Eurasian Sparrowhawk and Common Kestrel. 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 November — about 18.2 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.
Newton Aycliffe, 4 km to the north-east, has more species on record (95 against 89).
Daylight runs from 17 h 17 min at midsummer to 7 h 15 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:06 in mid-April and 4:29 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Heighington
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 91 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 83 |
| 3 | MagpiePica pica | 66 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 49 |
| 5 | SwiftApus apus | 49 |
| 6 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 45 |
| 7 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 45 |
| 8 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 40 |
| 9 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 36 |
| 10 | Great TitParus major | 30 |
| 11 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 28 |
| 12 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 25 |
| 13 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 25 |
| 14 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 23 |
| 15 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 22 |
| 16 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 22 |
| 17 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 21 |
| 18 | BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula | 21 |
| 19 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 17 |
| 20 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 16 |
Records by month
What to put out in Heighington
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Darlington
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 Heighington?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Heighington are Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Robin and Blue Tit, based on 1,065 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Heighington?
89 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Heighington?
Observation records peak in June and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:29.
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.