Birds of Hillsborough
What has actually been seen around Hillsborough: 95 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 95 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 2,855 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Common Buzzard
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 113 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.3 h / 7.3 h
What the records say about Hillsborough
95 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Hillsborough (Lisburn and Castlereagh) since 2010, across 2,855 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Common Buzzard, Robin and Blackbird.
Hillsborough 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. Robin, Blackbird, Jackdaw and Magpie make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
6 birds of prey are on record nearby, including 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 10.5 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.
Annahilt, 6 km to the south-east, has fewer species on record (78 against 95). Birds logged far more often around Hillsborough than there include Common Buzzard, Mallard, Mute Swan and Gray Heron.
Daylight runs from 17 h 15 min at midsummer to 7 h 17 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:24 in mid-April and 4:48 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Hillsborough
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 209 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 121 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 114 |
| 4 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 105 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 96 |
| 6 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 90 |
| 7 | Hooded CrowCorvus cornix | 89 |
| 8 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 89 |
| 9 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 89 |
| 10 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 86 |
| 11 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 82 |
| 12 | Graylag GooseAnser anser | 79 |
| 13 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 78 |
| 14 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 75 |
| 15 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 72 |
| 16 | Great TitParus major | 71 |
| 17 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 66 |
| 18 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 62 |
| 19 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 61 |
| 20 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 60 |
Records by month
What to put out in Hillsborough
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Lisburn and Castlereagh
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 Hillsborough?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Hillsborough are Robin, Blackbird, Jackdaw, Magpie and Chaffinch, based on 2,855 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Hillsborough?
95 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Hillsborough?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in September. Sunrise in late June is around 4:48.
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.