Birds of Matlock
What has actually been seen around Matlock: 145 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 145 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 24,377 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 97 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17 h / 7.5 h
What the records say about Matlock
145 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Matlock (Derbyshire) since 2010, across 24,377 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Robin and Blackbird.
Matlock 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. Woodpigeon, Robin, Blackbird and Blue Tit make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
12 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 April and are lowest in September — about 5.9 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.
Cromford, 3 km to the south, has a similar number of species on record (144 against 145). Birds logged far more often around Matlock than there include Red Crossbill.
Daylight runs from 16 h 58 min at midsummer to 7 h 32 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 Matlock
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,136 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,105 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,058 |
| 4 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,033 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 852 |
| 6 | Great TitParus major | 820 |
| 7 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 791 |
| 8 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 765 |
| 9 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 704 |
| 10 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 693 |
| 11 | MagpiePica pica | 689 |
| 12 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 635 |
| 13 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 576 |
| 14 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 573 |
| 15 | NuthatchSitta europaea | 559 |
| 16 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 553 |
| 17 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 528 |
| 18 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 481 |
| 19 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 460 |
| 20 | GoldcrestRegulus regulus | 392 |
Records by month
What to put out in Matlock
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 Matlock?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Matlock are Woodpigeon, Robin, Blackbird, Blue Tit and Carrion Crow, based on 24,377 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Matlock?
145 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Matlock?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in September. 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.