Birds of Kirkby
What has actually been seen around Kirkby: 147 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 147 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 29,675 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- March
- Elevation
- 25 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17 h / 7.5 h
What the records say about Kirkby
147 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Kirkby (Knowsley) since 2010, across 29,675 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Starling and Magpie.
Kirkby is a garden-bird place: 76% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Starling, Magpie and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
14 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 March and are lowest in August — about 5.3 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.
Fazakerley, 3 km to the south-west, has a similar number of species on record (151 against 147). Birds logged far more often around Kirkby than there include Northern Lapwing, Yellowhammer and Gray Partridge.
Daylight runs from 17 h 2 min at midsummer to 7 h 28 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:13 in mid-April and 4:41 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Kirkby
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 2,857 |
| 2 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 2,065 |
| 3 | MagpiePica pica | 1,668 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,516 |
| 5 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 1,492 |
| 6 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,409 |
| 7 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 1,343 |
| 8 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,122 |
| 9 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 1,021 |
| 10 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 894 |
| 11 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 805 |
| 12 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 784 |
| 13 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 746 |
| 14 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 709 |
| 15 | Great TitParus major | 662 |
| 16 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 592 |
| 17 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 586 |
| 18 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 513 |
| 19 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 403 |
| 20 | Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchus | 374 |
Records by month
What to put out in Kirkby
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Starling
Suet · Mealworms
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
Seasonal bird notes for Knowsley
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 Kirkby?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Kirkby are Woodpigeon, Starling, Magpie, Blackbird and Carrion Crow, based on 29,675 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Kirkby?
147 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Kirkby?
Observation records peak in March and are lowest in August. Sunrise in late June is around 4:41.
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.