Birds of Boston Spa
What has actually been seen around Boston Spa: 101 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 101 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 2,731 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Red Kite
- Busiest month
- June
- Elevation
- 29 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.1 h / 7.4 h
What the records say about Boston Spa
101 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Boston Spa (Leeds) since 2010, across 2,731 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Red Kite, Carrion Crow and Woodpigeon.
Boston Spa is a garden-bird place: 64% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Magpie make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
8 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel. 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 12.1 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.
Wetherby, 4 km to the north-west, has a similar number of species on record (102 against 101).
Daylight runs from 17 h 8 min at midsummer to 7 h 24 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:06 in mid-April and 4:32 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Boston Spa
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 367 |
| 2 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 132 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 127 |
| 4 | SwiftApus apus | 117 |
| 5 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 106 |
| 6 | MagpiePica pica | 93 |
| 7 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 76 |
| 8 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 67 |
| 9 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 64 |
| 10 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 63 |
| 11 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 62 |
| 12 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 62 |
| 13 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 58 |
| 14 | Eurasian HoopoeUpupa epops | 54 |
| 15 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 53 |
| 16 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 49 |
| 17 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 47 |
| 18 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 46 |
| 19 | Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus | 46 |
| 20 | Great TitParus major | 46 |
Records by month
What to put out in Boston Spa
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
- Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
- Pied Wagtail
Mealworms
Seasonal bird notes for Leeds
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 Boston Spa?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Boston Spa are Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Magpie and Robin, based on 2,731 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Boston Spa?
101 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Boston Spa?
Observation records peak in June and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:32.
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.