Birds of Old Swan
What has actually been seen around Old Swan: 182 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 182 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 75,717 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 55 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17 h / 7.5 h
What the records say about Old Swan
182 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Old Swan (Liverpool) since 2010, across 75,717 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Magpie and Blackbird.
Old Swan is a garden-bird place: 67% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Magpie, Blackbird and Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
20 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Eurasian Sparrowhawk and Peregrine Falcon. 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 September — about 2.8 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.
Liverpool, 5 km to the west, has more species on record (214 against 182).
Daylight runs from 17 h 1 min at midsummer to 7 h 29 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:14 in mid-April and 4:42 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Old Swan
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 3,600 |
| 2 | MagpiePica pica | 3,565 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 3,054 |
| 4 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 2,980 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 2,934 |
| 6 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 2,815 |
| 7 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 2,775 |
| 8 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 2,430 |
| 9 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 2,365 |
| 10 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 2,324 |
| 11 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 2,278 |
| 12 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 2,119 |
| 13 | Great TitParus major | 2,009 |
| 14 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,954 |
| 15 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,721 |
| 16 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 1,625 |
| 17 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 1,568 |
| 18 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 1,523 |
| 19 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 1,521 |
| 20 | Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri | 1,494 |
Records by month
What to put out in Old Swan
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Liverpool
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 Old Swan?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Old Swan are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Blackbird, Robin and Rock Pigeon, based on 75,717 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Old Swan?
182 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Old Swan?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in September. Sunrise in late June is around 4:42.
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.