Birds of Whickham
What has actually been seen around Whickham: 183 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 183 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 20,916 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- February
- Elevation
- 119 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.4 h / 7.2 h
What the records say about Whickham
183 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Whickham (Gateshead) since 2010, across 20,916 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Magpie.
Whickham is a garden-bird place: 63% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Magpie and Carrion Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
13 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Common Buzzard 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 February and are lowest in October — about 2.5 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.
Blaydon-on-Tyne, 3 km to the north-west, has fewer species on record (148 against 183).
Daylight runs from 17 h 22 min at midsummer to 7 h 11 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:05 in mid-April and 4:27 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Whickham
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,230 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 928 |
| 3 | MagpiePica pica | 918 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 831 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 756 |
| 6 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 743 |
| 7 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 677 |
| 8 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 643 |
| 9 | Great TitParus major | 540 |
| 10 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 525 |
| 11 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 524 |
| 12 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 514 |
| 13 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 459 |
| 14 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 457 |
| 15 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 448 |
| 16 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 425 |
| 17 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 423 |
| 18 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 409 |
| 19 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 394 |
| 20 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 367 |
Records by month
What to put out in Whickham
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Gateshead
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 Whickham?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Whickham are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Magpie, Carrion Crow and Robin, based on 20,916 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Whickham?
183 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Whickham?
Observation records peak in February and are lowest in October. Sunrise in late June is around 4:27.
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.