Birds of High Peak
What has actually been seen around High Peak: 115 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 115 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 4,448 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Jackdaw
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 335 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17 h / 7.5 h
What the records say about High Peak
115 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of High Peak (Derbyshire) since 2010, across 4,448 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Jackdaw, Meadow Pipit and Carrion Crow.
High Peak is a garden-bird place: 82% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Jackdaw, Meadow Pipit, Carrion Crow and Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
13 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel, Common Buzzard 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 May and are lowest in February — about 7.0 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.
Chapel en le Frith, 7 km to the south-west, has more species on record (125 against 115). Birds logged far more often around High Peak than there include Willow Grouse, European Stonechat, Common Redstart and White-throated Dipper.
At about 335 m above sea level, High Peak 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 17 h 1 min at midsummer to 7 h 30 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:09 in mid-April and 4:38 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near High Peak
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 253 |
| 2 | Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis | 227 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 205 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 192 |
| 5 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 163 |
| 6 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 151 |
| 7 | Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus | 144 |
| 8 | MagpiePica pica | 140 |
| 9 | Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensis | 125 |
| 10 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 124 |
| 11 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 123 |
| 12 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 111 |
| 13 | Great TitParus major | 110 |
| 14 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 107 |
| 15 | Common RavenCorvus corax | 95 |
| 16 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 94 |
| 17 | Willow GrouseLagopus lagopus | 93 |
| 18 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 86 |
| 19 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 85 |
| 20 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 82 |
Records by month
What to put out in High Peak
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 High Peak?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of High Peak are Jackdaw, Meadow Pipit, Carrion Crow, Robin and Chaffinch, based on 4,448 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near High Peak?
115 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in High Peak?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 4:38.
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.