Birds of Burnley
What has actually been seen around Burnley: 113 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 113 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 4,983 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 140 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.1 h / 7.4 h
What the records say about Burnley
113 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Burnley (Lancashire) since 2010, across 4,983 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Magpie and Jackdaw.
Burnley is a garden-bird place: 78% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Magpie, Jackdaw and Carrion Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
11 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Barn 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 May and are lowest in December — about 9.9 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.
Nelson, 4 km to the north-east, has more species on record (124 against 113).
Daylight runs from 17 h 6 min at midsummer to 7 h 25 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 Burnley
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 444 |
| 2 | MagpiePica pica | 395 |
| 3 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 377 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 309 |
| 5 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 278 |
| 6 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 202 |
| 7 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 198 |
| 8 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 192 |
| 9 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 176 |
| 10 | SwiftApus apus | 167 |
| 11 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 145 |
| 12 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 132 |
| 13 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 127 |
| 14 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 127 |
| 15 | Great TitParus major | 110 |
| 16 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 103 |
| 17 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 80 |
| 18 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 77 |
| 19 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 74 |
| 20 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 72 |
Records by month
What to put out in Burnley
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
- 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
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 Burnley?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Burnley are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow and Blackbird, based on 4,983 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Burnley?
113 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Burnley?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in December. 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.