Birds of Chorley
What has actually been seen around Chorley: 132 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 132 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 11,254 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Blackbird
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 105 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.1 h / 7.4 h
What the records say about Chorley
132 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Chorley (Lancashire) since 2010, across 11,254 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Blackbird, Woodpigeon and Robin.
Chorley is a garden-bird place: 70% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Robin and Blue Tit make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
12 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Peregrine Falcon. 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 November — about 6.3 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.
Coppull, 4 km to the south-west, has a similar number of species on record (136 against 132). Birds logged far more often around Chorley than there include Willow Warbler.
Daylight runs from 17 h 4 min at midsummer to 7 h 27 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:12 in mid-April and 4:39 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Chorley
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 564 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 537 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 490 |
| 4 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 434 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 417 |
| 6 | MagpiePica pica | 381 |
| 7 | Great TitParus major | 378 |
| 8 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 345 |
| 9 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 317 |
| 10 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 310 |
| 11 | NuthatchSitta europaea | 294 |
| 12 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 243 |
| 13 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 224 |
| 14 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 217 |
| 15 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 211 |
| 16 | Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea | 211 |
| 17 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 208 |
| 18 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 207 |
| 19 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 205 |
| 20 | JayGarrulus glandarius | 205 |
Records by month
What to put out in Chorley
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 Chorley?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Chorley are Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Robin, Blue Tit and Magpie, based on 11,254 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Chorley?
132 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Chorley?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:39.
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.