Birds of Nelson
What has actually been seen around Nelson: 124 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 124 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 3,932 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Mallard
- Busiest month
- March
- Elevation
- 170 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.1 h / 7.4 h
What the records say about Nelson
124 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Nelson (Lancashire) since 2010, across 3,932 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Mallard, Woodpigeon and Blackbird.
Nelson is a garden-bird place: 60% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Carrion Crow and Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
8 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel.
Records peak in March and are lowest in December — about 3.2 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.
Colne, 3 km to the north-east, has a similar number of species on record (127 against 124).
Daylight runs from 17 h 7 min at midsummer to 7 h 24 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:10 in mid-April and 4:36 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Nelson
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 181 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 161 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 159 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 155 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 133 |
| 6 | MagpiePica pica | 127 |
| 7 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 120 |
| 8 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 117 |
| 9 | Great TitParus major | 108 |
| 10 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 106 |
| 11 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 99 |
| 12 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 95 |
| 13 | SwiftApus apus | 84 |
| 14 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 83 |
| 15 | Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus | 78 |
| 16 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 71 |
| 17 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 64 |
| 18 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 64 |
| 19 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 63 |
| 20 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 62 |
Records by month
What to put out in Nelson
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 Nelson?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Nelson are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Robin and Magpie, based on 3,932 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Nelson?
124 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Nelson?
Observation records peak in March and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:36.
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.