Birds of Longtown
What has actually been seen around Longtown: 103 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 103 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 2,954 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Blue Tit
- Busiest month
- June
- Elevation
- 137 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Longtown
103 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Longtown (Herefordshire) since 2010, across 2,954 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Blue Tit, White-throated Dipper and Grey Wagtail.
Longtown is a garden-bird place: 78% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Blue Tit, White-throated Dipper, Grey Wagtail and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
13 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Red Kite 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 7.7 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.
Ewyas Harold, 6 km to the east, has fewer species on record (67 against 103). Birds logged far more often around Longtown than there include White-throated Dipper, European Pied Flycatcher, Eurasian Curlew and Willow Grouse.
Daylight runs from 16 h 44 min at midsummer to 7 h 45 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:17 in mid-April and 4:51 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Longtown
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 312 |
| 2 | White-throated DipperCinclus cinclus | 210 |
| 3 | Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea | 117 |
| 4 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 96 |
| 5 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 81 |
| 6 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 78 |
| 7 | European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca | 76 |
| 8 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 69 |
| 9 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 69 |
| 10 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 65 |
| 11 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 64 |
| 12 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 62 |
| 13 | Common RavenCorvus corax | 60 |
| 14 | Great TitParus major | 60 |
| 15 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 58 |
| 16 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 56 |
| 17 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 55 |
| 18 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 51 |
| 19 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 48 |
| 20 | SwiftApus apus | 46 |
Records by month
What to put out in Longtown
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Herefordshire
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 Longtown?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Longtown are Blue Tit, White-throated Dipper, Grey Wagtail, Blackbird and Robin, based on 2,954 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Longtown?
103 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Longtown?
Observation records peak in June and are lowest in September. Sunrise in late June is around 4:51.
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.