Birds of Heysham
What has actually been seen around Heysham: 193 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 193 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 17,928 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- European Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- March
- Elevation
- 31 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.2 h / 7.4 h
What the records say about Heysham
193 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Heysham (Lancashire) since 2010, across 17,928 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull and Eurasian Oystercatcher.
Water shapes this list. 50% of records near Heysham are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — European Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull and Eurasian Oystercatcher lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Magpie is still the most logged garden bird.
11 birds of prey are on record nearby, including .
Records peak in March and are lowest in August — about 3.5 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.
Morecambe, 4 km to the north-east, has fewer species on record (187 against 193).
Daylight runs from 17 h 9 min at midsummer to 7 h 22 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:12 in mid-April and 4:38 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Heysham
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 687 |
| 2 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 666 |
| 3 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 619 |
| 4 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 537 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 525 |
| 6 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 524 |
| 7 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 513 |
| 8 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 505 |
| 9 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 479 |
| 10 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 454 |
| 11 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 452 |
| 12 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 426 |
| 13 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 407 |
| 14 | Little EgretEgretta garzetta | 400 |
| 15 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 399 |
| 16 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 331 |
| 17 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 322 |
| 18 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 320 |
| 19 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 317 |
| 20 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 296 |
Records by month
What to put out in Heysham
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 Heysham?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Heysham are Magpie, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Robin, based on 17,928 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Heysham?
193 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Heysham?
Observation records peak in March and are lowest in August. Sunrise in late June is around 4:38.
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.