Birds of Castledawson
What has actually been seen around Castledawson: 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
- 472 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Northern Lapwing
- Busiest month
- November
- Elevation
- 33 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.3 h / 7.2 h
What the records say about Castledawson
95 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Castledawson (Mid Ulster) since 2010, across 472 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Northern Lapwing, Common Snipe and Chaffinch.
The records split between garden birds (59%) and waterbirds (34%), so a feeder in Castledawson sees the familiar Chaffinch, Woodpigeon and Robin, while Northern Lapwing and others turn up on nearby water.
6 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard.
Records peak in November and are lowest in October — about 28.0 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.
Magherafelt, 4 km to the south-west, has fewer species on record (47 against 95).
Daylight runs from 17 h 19 min at midsummer to 7 h 13 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:25 in mid-April and 4:47 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Castledawson
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 17 |
| 2 | Common SnipeGallinago gallinago | 16 |
| 3 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 16 |
| 4 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 16 |
| 5 | SwiftApus apus | 16 |
| 6 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 15 |
| 7 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 15 |
| 8 | Whooper SwanCygnus cygnus | 15 |
| 9 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 14 |
| 10 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 14 |
| 11 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 13 |
| 12 | Hooded CrowCorvus cornix | 12 |
| 13 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 12 |
| 14 | Great TitParus major | 12 |
| 15 | MagpiePica pica | 11 |
| 16 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 11 |
| 17 | Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis | 10 |
| 18 | Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus | 10 |
| 19 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 10 |
| 20 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 9 |
Records by month
What to put out in Castledawson
Seasonal bird notes for Mid Ulster
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 Castledawson?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Castledawson are Chaffinch, Woodpigeon, Robin, Rook and Wren, based on 472 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Castledawson?
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 Castledawson?
Observation records peak in November and are lowest in October. Sunrise in late June is around 4:47.
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.