Birds of Whitley Bay
What has actually been seen around Whitley Bay: 260 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 260 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 143,916 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- European Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 29 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.4 h / 7.2 h
What the records say about Whitley Bay
260 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Whitley Bay (North Tyneside) since 2010, across 143,916 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Woodpigeon and Carrion Crow.
Water shapes this list. 44% of records near Whitley Bay are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — European Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull and Mallard lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.
15 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel.
Records peak in April and are lowest in June — about 2.0 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.
Shiremoor, 4 km to the west, has fewer species on record (226 against 260). Birds logged far more often around Whitley Bay than there include Ruddy Turnstone, Common Eider, Sanderling and Common Ringed Plover.
Daylight runs from 17 h 23 min at midsummer to 7 h 10 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:04 in mid-April and 4:25 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Whitley Bay
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 6,685 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 5,435 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 5,144 |
| 4 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 4,365 |
| 5 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 4,086 |
| 6 | MagpiePica pica | 3,905 |
| 7 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 3,734 |
| 8 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 3,431 |
| 9 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 3,163 |
| 10 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 3,050 |
| 11 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 3,044 |
| 12 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 2,733 |
| 13 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 2,700 |
| 14 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 2,692 |
| 15 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 2,533 |
| 16 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 2,506 |
| 17 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 2,393 |
| 18 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 2,248 |
| 19 | Great TitParus major | 2,210 |
| 20 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 2,117 |
Records by month
What to put out in Whitley Bay
Seasonal bird notes for North Tyneside
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 Whitley Bay?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Whitley Bay are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Blackbird, Magpie and Starling, based on 143,916 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Whitley Bay?
260 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Whitley Bay?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in June. Sunrise in late June is around 4:25.
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.