Birds of Ripon
What has actually been seen around Ripon: 156 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 156 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 12,007 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- February
- Elevation
- 40 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.2 h / 7.3 h
What the records say about Ripon
156 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Ripon (North Yorkshire) since 2010, across 12,007 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Common Pheasant.
The records split between garden birds (53%) and waterbirds (38%), so a feeder in Ripon sees the familiar Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Robin, while Mallard and others turn up on nearby water.
11 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Red Kite and Common Kestrel. 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 February and are lowest in July — about 2.1 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.
Bishop Monkton, 5 km to the south-east, has more species on record (191 against 156). Birds logged far more often around Ripon than there include Nuthatch and Rock Pigeon.
Daylight runs from 17 h 11 min at midsummer to 7 h 21 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:06 in mid-April and 4:32 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Ripon
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 495 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 453 |
| 3 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 435 |
| 4 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 413 |
| 5 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 383 |
| 6 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 377 |
| 7 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 375 |
| 8 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 362 |
| 9 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 352 |
| 10 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 314 |
| 11 | Great TitParus major | 295 |
| 12 | Graylag GooseAnser anser | 281 |
| 13 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 277 |
| 14 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 264 |
| 15 | Tufted DuckAythya fuligula | 252 |
| 16 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 246 |
| 17 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 217 |
| 18 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 214 |
| 19 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 212 |
| 20 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 191 |
Records by month
What to put out in Ripon
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for North Yorkshire
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 Ripon?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Ripon are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin, Blue Tit and Jackdaw, based on 12,007 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Ripon?
156 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Ripon?
Observation records peak in February and are lowest in July. Sunrise in late June is around 4:32.
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.