Birds of Scholes
What has actually been seen around Scholes: 143 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 143 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 16,319 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 101 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.1 h / 7.4 h
What the records say about Scholes
143 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Scholes (Leeds) since 2010, across 16,319 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Magpie and Carrion Crow.
Scholes is a garden-bird place: 63% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Magpie, Carrion Crow and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
11 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 May 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.
Shadwell, 5 km to the north-west, has a similar number of species on record (141 against 143). Birds logged far more often around Scholes than there include Northern Shoveler and Common Pochard.
Daylight runs from 17 h 7 min at midsummer to 7 h 25 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:07 in mid-April and 4:33 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Scholes
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,083 |
| 2 | MagpiePica pica | 827 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 801 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 790 |
| 5 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 710 |
| 6 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 626 |
| 7 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 576 |
| 8 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 508 |
| 9 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 485 |
| 10 | SwiftApus apus | 455 |
| 11 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 407 |
| 12 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 400 |
| 13 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 361 |
| 14 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 351 |
| 15 | Great TitParus major | 338 |
| 16 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 324 |
| 17 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 319 |
| 18 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 296 |
| 19 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 285 |
| 20 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 277 |
Records by month
What to put out in Scholes
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- Starling
Suet · 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 Scholes?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Scholes are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Blackbird and Blue Tit, based on 16,319 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Scholes?
143 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Scholes?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:33.
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.