Birds of Skelton
What has actually been seen around Skelton: 140 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 140 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 6,669 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Blackbird
- Busiest month
- June
- Elevation
- 5 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.1 h / 7.4 h
What the records say about Skelton
140 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Skelton (East Riding of Yorkshire) since 2010, across 6,669 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Blackbird, Woodpigeon and House Sparrow.
Skelton is a garden-bird place: 68% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Blackbird, Woodpigeon, House Sparrow and Goldfinch make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
12 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 June 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.
Goole, 3 km to the south-west, has a similar number of species on record (144 against 140).
Daylight runs from 17 h 5 min at midsummer to 7 h 26 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:05 in mid-April and 4:32 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Skelton
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 428 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 405 |
| 3 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 376 |
| 4 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 245 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 207 |
| 6 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 202 |
| 7 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 200 |
| 8 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 197 |
| 9 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 196 |
| 10 | Great TitParus major | 178 |
| 11 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 157 |
| 12 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 150 |
| 13 | MagpiePica pica | 148 |
| 14 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 142 |
| 15 | SwiftApus apus | 140 |
| 16 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 138 |
| 17 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 121 |
| 18 | Common GullLarus canus | 108 |
| 19 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 103 |
| 20 | Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus | 101 |
Records by month
What to put out in Skelton
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
- Goldfinch
Nyjer seed · Sunflower hearts
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
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 Skelton?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Skelton are Blackbird, Woodpigeon, House Sparrow, Goldfinch and Robin, based on 6,669 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Skelton?
140 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Skelton?
Observation records peak in June and are lowest in September. Sunrise in late June is around 4:32.
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.