Birds of Hornsea
What has actually been seen around Hornsea: 228 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 228 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 13,586 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- European Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- August
- Elevation
- 7 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.1 h / 7.4 h
What the records say about Hornsea
228 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Hornsea (East Riding of Yorkshire) since 2010, across 13,586 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Mallard and Black-headed Gull.
Water shapes this list. 53% of records near Hornsea are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — European Herring Gull, Mallard and Black-headed Gull lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.
15 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Eurasian Marsh-Harrier, Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel.
Records peak in August and are lowest in February — about 9.3 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.
Dunnington, 7 km to the north-west, has fewer species on record (127 against 228). Birds logged far more often around Hornsea than there include Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Tufted Duck and Eurasian Coot.
Daylight runs from 17 h 8 min at midsummer to 7 h 23 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:02 in mid-April and 4:28 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Hornsea
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 406 |
| 2 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 369 |
| 3 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 368 |
| 4 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 358 |
| 5 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 326 |
| 6 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 316 |
| 7 | Graylag GooseAnser anser | 311 |
| 8 | Tufted DuckAythya fuligula | 301 |
| 9 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 293 |
| 10 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 291 |
| 11 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 288 |
| 12 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 276 |
| 13 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 231 |
| 14 | Little GullHydrocoloeus minutus | 215 |
| 15 | GadwallMareca strepera | 211 |
| 16 | MagpiePica pica | 189 |
| 17 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 184 |
| 18 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 179 |
| 19 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 177 |
| 20 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 165 |
Records by month
What to put out in Hornsea
Seasonal bird notes for East Riding of Yorkshire
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 Hornsea?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Hornsea are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Blackbird and Magpie, based on 13,586 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Hornsea?
228 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Hornsea?
Observation records peak in August and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 4:28.
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.