Birds of Accrington
What has actually been seen around Accrington: 112 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 112 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 1,407 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Magpie
- Busiest month
- February
- Elevation
- 148 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.1 h / 7.4 h
What the records say about Accrington
112 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Accrington (Lancashire) since 2010, across 1,407 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Magpie, Woodpigeon and Mallard.
Accrington is a garden-bird place: 66% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Magpie, Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Robin 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 February and are lowest in October — about 5.7 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.
Great Harwood, 5 km to the north-west, has more species on record (135 against 112).
Daylight runs from 17 h 6 min at midsummer to 7 h 25 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:11 in mid-April and 4:37 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Accrington
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MagpiePica pica | 64 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 63 |
| 3 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 61 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 60 |
| 5 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 48 |
| 6 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 47 |
| 7 | Great TitParus major | 46 |
| 8 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 45 |
| 9 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 42 |
| 10 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 41 |
| 11 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 35 |
| 12 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 34 |
| 13 | SwiftApus apus | 34 |
| 14 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 31 |
| 15 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 30 |
| 16 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 29 |
| 17 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 29 |
| 18 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 25 |
| 19 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 24 |
| 20 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 23 |
Records by month
What to put out in Accrington
Seasonal bird notes for Lancashire
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 Accrington?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Accrington are Magpie, Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin and Great Tit, based on 1,407 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Accrington?
112 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Accrington?
Observation records peak in February and are lowest in October. Sunrise in late June is around 4:37.
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.