Birds of Bacup
What has actually been seen around Bacup: 101 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 101 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 3,945 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Meadow Pipit
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 257 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.1 h / 7.4 h
What the records say about Bacup
101 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Bacup (Lancashire) since 2010, across 3,945 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Meadow Pipit, Carrion Crow and Robin.
Bacup 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. Meadow Pipit, Carrion Crow, Robin and Magpie make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
9 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Kestrel and Tawny Owl. 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 April and are lowest in February — about 4.5 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.
Cornholme, 5 km to the north-east, has more species on record (125 against 101). Birds logged far more often around Bacup than there include House Sparrow, Northern Wheatear, Common Redpoll and Tufted Duck.
At about 257 m above sea level, Bacup sits higher than most places in Lancashire. 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 5 min at midsummer to 7 h 26 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:10 in mid-April and 4:37 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Bacup
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis | 184 |
| 2 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 168 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 156 |
| 4 | MagpiePica pica | 152 |
| 5 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 145 |
| 6 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 135 |
| 7 | Great TitParus major | 135 |
| 8 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 129 |
| 9 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 124 |
| 10 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 124 |
| 11 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 117 |
| 12 | SwiftApus apus | 112 |
| 13 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 110 |
| 14 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 110 |
| 15 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 104 |
| 16 | GreenfinchChloris chloris | 99 |
| 17 | Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe | 96 |
| 18 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 95 |
| 19 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 92 |
| 20 | JayGarrulus glandarius | 80 |
Records by month
What to put out in Bacup
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
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 Bacup?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Bacup are Meadow Pipit, Carrion Crow, Robin, Magpie and Blackbird, based on 3,945 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Bacup?
101 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Bacup?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in February. 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.