Birds of Caton
What has actually been seen around Caton: 119 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 119 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 3,096 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Swift
- Busiest month
- June
- Elevation
- 29 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.2 h / 7.4 h
What the records say about Caton
119 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Caton (Lancashire) since 2010, across 3,096 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Swift, Blackbird and Robin.
The records split between garden birds (57%) and waterbirds (25%), so a feeder in Caton sees the familiar Blackbird, Robin and Jackdaw, while Mallard and others turn up on nearby water.
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 June and are lowest in November — about 8.4 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.
Bolton le Sands, 6 km to the north-west, has more species on record (164 against 119). Birds logged far more often around Caton than there include Common Pheasant, Nuthatch, Bank Swallow and Common Kingfisher.
Daylight runs from 17 h 10 min at midsummer to 7 h 22 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 Caton
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SwiftApus apus | 285 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 112 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 102 |
| 4 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 93 |
| 5 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 92 |
| 6 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 87 |
| 7 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 87 |
| 8 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 86 |
| 9 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 77 |
| 10 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 71 |
| 11 | Great TitParus major | 68 |
| 12 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 67 |
| 13 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 59 |
| 14 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 58 |
| 15 | MagpiePica pica | 57 |
| 16 | Common MerganserMergus merganser | 57 |
| 17 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 55 |
| 18 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 51 |
| 19 | Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea | 47 |
| 20 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 47 |
Records by month
What to put out in Caton
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 Caton?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Caton are Blackbird, Robin, Jackdaw, Blue Tit and Woodpigeon, based on 3,096 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Caton?
119 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Caton?
Observation records peak in June and are lowest in November. 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.