Birds of Horsforth
What has actually been seen around Horsforth: 164 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 164 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 58,143 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Magpie
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 145 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.1 h / 7.4 h
What the records say about Horsforth
164 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Horsforth (Leeds) since 2010, across 58,143 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Magpie, Woodpigeon and Robin.
Horsforth is a garden-bird place: 65% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Magpie, Woodpigeon, Robin and Carrion Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
13 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Common Buzzard 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 January and are lowest in September — about 2.1 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.
Yeadon, 4 km to the north-west, has fewer species on record (138 against 164). Birds logged far more often around Horsforth than there include Gadwall, Eurasian Teal and Little Grebe.
Daylight runs from 17 h 7 min at midsummer to 7 h 24 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:08 in mid-April and 4:34 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Horsforth
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MagpiePica pica | 2,791 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 2,751 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 2,550 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 2,510 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 2,379 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 2,337 |
| 7 | Great TitParus major | 2,177 |
| 8 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 1,996 |
| 9 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 1,750 |
| 10 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 1,555 |
| 11 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,380 |
| 12 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,378 |
| 13 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 1,313 |
| 14 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 1,232 |
| 15 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,211 |
| 16 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 1,044 |
| 17 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 967 |
| 18 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 964 |
| 19 | NuthatchSitta europaea | 931 |
| 20 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 918 |
Records by month
What to put out in Horsforth
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
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 Horsforth?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Horsforth are Magpie, Woodpigeon, Robin, Carrion Crow and Blue Tit, based on 58,143 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Horsforth?
164 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Horsforth?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in September. Sunrise in late June is around 4:34.
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.