Birds of Buxton
What has actually been seen around Buxton: 142 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 142 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 13,033 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Jackdaw
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 316 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17 h / 7.5 h
What the records say about Buxton
142 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Buxton (Derbyshire) since 2010, across 13,033 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Jackdaw, Blackbird and Woodpigeon.
Buxton is a garden-bird place: 67% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Jackdaw, Blackbird, Woodpigeon and Blue Tit make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
14 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Eurasian Sparrowhawk. 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 April and are lowest in November — about 4.6 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.
Dove Holes, 5 km to the north, has a similar number of species on record (139 against 142). Birds logged far more often around Buxton than there include Willow Grouse, White-throated Dipper, Short-eared Owl and European Golden Plover.
At about 316 m above sea level, Buxton sits higher than most places in Derbyshire. 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 16 h 59 min at midsummer to 7 h 31 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:10 in mid-April and 4:39 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Buxton
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 488 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 456 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 455 |
| 4 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 449 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 432 |
| 6 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 426 |
| 7 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 392 |
| 8 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 346 |
| 9 | MagpiePica pica | 321 |
| 10 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 319 |
| 11 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 311 |
| 12 | Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis | 300 |
| 13 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 294 |
| 14 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 277 |
| 15 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 276 |
| 16 | Great TitParus major | 261 |
| 17 | SwiftApus apus | 247 |
| 18 | Willow GrouseLagopus lagopus | 238 |
| 19 | Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus | 235 |
| 20 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 221 |
Records by month
What to put out in Buxton
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Derbyshire
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 Buxton?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Buxton are Jackdaw, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Blue Tit and Carrion Crow, based on 13,033 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Buxton?
142 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Buxton?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:39.
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.