Kirklees · 53.60°N

Birds of Shelley

What has actually been seen around Shelley: 95 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 95 within 5 km
Observation records: 3,358 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Woodpigeon
Busiest month: May
Elevation: 217 m
Daylight, June / December: 17.1 h / 7.5 h

What the records say about Shelley

95 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Shelley (Kirklees) since 2010, across 3,358 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Robin.

Shelley is a garden-bird place: 87% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin and Blue Tit make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

8 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 May and are lowest in September — about 5.8 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.

Denby Dale, 4 km to the south-east, has more species on record (120 against 95).

At about 217 m above sea level, Shelley sits higher than most places in Kirklees. Spring arrives a little later with height, and feeders matter more in cold snaps — keep a supply of high-fat food going through late winter.

Daylight runs from 17 h 4 min at midsummer to 7 h 27 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:08 in mid-April and 4:36 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Shelley

#	Bird	Records
1	WoodpigeonColumba palumbus	242
2	BlackbirdTurdus merula	204
3	RobinErithacus rubecula	196
4	Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus	186
5	MagpiePica pica	182
6	House SparrowPasser domesticus	153
7	Great TitParus major	147
8	DunnockPrunella modularis	124
9	GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis	122
10	Carrion CrowCorvus corone	115
11	StarlingSturnus vulgaris	112
12	Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto	103
13	ChaffinchFringilla coelebs	93
14	SwiftApus apus	83
15	Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus	82
16	WrenTroglodytes troglodytes	81
17	JackdawColoeus monedula	73
18	Coal TitPeriparus ater	72
19	GreenfinchChloris chloris	53
20	Common BuzzardButeo buteo	51

Records by month

What to put out in Shelley

Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.

Woodpigeon
Seed mix
Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
Great Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts · Suet

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 Shelley?

The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Shelley are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin, Blue Tit and Magpie, based on 3,358 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Shelley?

95 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).

When is the best month for birds in Shelley?

Observation records peak in May and are lowest in September. Sunrise in late June is around 4:36.

Sources

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.