Newry Mourne and Down · 54.22°N

Birds of Newcastle

What has actually been seen around Newcastle: 140 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 140 within 5 km
Observation records: 5,400 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Hooded Crow
Busiest month: December
Elevation: 5 m
Daylight, June / December: 17.2 h / 7.3 h

What the records say about Newcastle

140 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Newcastle (Newry Mourne and Down) since 2010, across 5,400 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Hooded Crow, European Herring Gull and Brant.

Water shapes this list. 46% of records near Newcastle are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — European Herring Gull, Brant and Eurasian Oystercatcher lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Hooded Crow is still the most logged garden bird.

7 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard.

Records peak in December and are lowest in February — about 5.5 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.

Dundrum, 5 km to the north-east, has a similar number of species on record (138 against 140). Birds logged far more often around Newcastle than there include Grey Wagtail, White-throated Dipper and Jay.

Daylight runs from 17 h 12 min at midsummer to 7 h 20 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 Newcastle

#	Bird	Records
1	Hooded CrowCorvus cornix	203
2	European Herring GullLarus argentatus	170
3	BrantBranta bernicla	161
4	RobinErithacus rubecula	151
5	Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus	147
6	WoodpigeonColumba palumbus	146
7	MagpiePica pica	138
8	Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus	135
9	Gray HeronArdea cinerea	131
10	BlackbirdTurdus merula	129
11	JackdawColoeus monedula	129
12	Pied WagtailMotacilla alba	125
13	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	122
14	RookCorvus frugilegus	121
15	Little EgretEgretta garzetta	116
16	Common CuckooCuculus canorus	113
17	Common RedshankTringa totanus	103
18	StarlingSturnus vulgaris	101
19	Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus	96
20	Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo	93

Records by month

What to put out in Newcastle

Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.

Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
Woodpigeon
Seed mix
Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
Pied Wagtail
Mealworms
Starling
Suet · Mealworms

Seasonal bird notes for Newry Mourne and Down

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 Newcastle?

The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Newcastle are Hooded Crow, Robin, Woodpigeon, Magpie and Blackbird, based on 5,400 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Newcastle?

140 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).

When is the best month for birds in Newcastle?

Observation records peak in December and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 4:48.

Sources

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.