Birds of Houghton on the Hill
What has actually been seen around Houghton on the Hill: 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
- 10,817 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Common Buzzard
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 173 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.9 h / 7.6 h
What the records say about Houghton on the Hill
143 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Houghton on the Hill (Leicestershire) since 2010, across 10,817 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Common Buzzard, Woodpigeon and Red Kite.
Houghton on the Hill is a garden-bird place: 69% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blue Tit, Robin and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
14 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Red Kite 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 April and are lowest in October — about 2.6 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.
Billesdon, 4 km to the east, has fewer species on record (130 against 143). Birds logged far more often around Houghton on the Hill than there include Rose-ringed Parakeet, Northern Wheatear, Common Reed Bunting and Stock Dove.
Daylight runs from 16 h 52 min at midsummer to 7 h 38 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:07 in mid-April and 4:39 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Houghton on the Hill
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 589 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 387 |
| 3 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 372 |
| 4 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 348 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 344 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 323 |
| 7 | Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus | 288 |
| 8 | Great TitParus major | 287 |
| 9 | MagpiePica pica | 281 |
| 10 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 257 |
| 11 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 249 |
| 12 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 239 |
| 13 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 234 |
| 14 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 233 |
| 15 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 230 |
| 16 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 227 |
| 17 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 219 |
| 18 | Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis | 213 |
| 19 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 209 |
| 20 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 202 |
Records by month
What to put out in Houghton on the Hill
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Leicestershire
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 Houghton on the Hill?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Houghton on the Hill are Woodpigeon, Blue Tit, Robin, Blackbird and Great Tit, based on 10,817 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Houghton on the Hill?
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 Houghton on the Hill?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in October. Sunrise in late June is around 4:39.
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.