Birds of Huddersfield
What has actually been seen around Huddersfield: 135 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 135 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 19,587 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 90 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.1 h / 7.4 h
What the records say about Huddersfield
135 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Huddersfield (Kirklees) since 2010, across 19,587 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Magpie and Carrion Crow.
Huddersfield is a garden-bird place: 85% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Magpie, Carrion Crow and Blue Tit make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
13 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Eurasian Sparrowhawk, 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 January and are lowest in September — 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.
Linthwaite, 5 km to the south-west, has a similar number of species on record (139 against 135).
Daylight runs from 17 h 4 min at midsummer to 7 h 27 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:09 in mid-April and 4:36 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Huddersfield
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,256 |
| 2 | MagpiePica pica | 1,174 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,099 |
| 4 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,089 |
| 5 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 1,070 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,069 |
| 7 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 985 |
| 8 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 957 |
| 9 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 911 |
| 10 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 856 |
| 11 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 818 |
| 12 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 743 |
| 13 | Great TitParus major | 741 |
| 14 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 663 |
| 15 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 543 |
| 16 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 488 |
| 17 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 450 |
| 18 | SwiftApus apus | 334 |
| 19 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 296 |
| 20 | Common GullLarus canus | 280 |
Records by month
What to put out in Huddersfield
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
Seasonal bird notes for Kirklees
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 Huddersfield?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Huddersfield are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit and House Sparrow, based on 19,587 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Huddersfield?
135 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Huddersfield?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in September. Sunrise in late June is around 4:36.
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.