Birds of Spofforth
What has actually been seen around Spofforth: 106 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 106 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 6,773 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Mallard
- Busiest month
- March
- Elevation
- 45 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.1 h / 7.4 h
What the records say about Spofforth
106 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Spofforth (North Yorkshire) since 2010, across 6,773 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Mallard, Black-headed Gull and Nuthatch.
Spofforth is a garden-bird place: 69% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Nuthatch, Grey Wagtail, Woodpigeon and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
8 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Common Buzzard and Eurasian Sparrowhawk. 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 March and are lowest in November — about 2.7 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.
Wetherby, 5 km to the south-east, has a similar number of species on record (102 against 106). Birds logged far more often around Spofforth than there include Nuthatch, Common Moorhen, Grey Wagtail and White-throated Dipper.
Daylight runs from 17 h 8 min at midsummer to 7 h 23 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:07 in mid-April and 4:32 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Spofforth
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 326 |
| 2 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 244 |
| 3 | NuthatchSitta europaea | 242 |
| 4 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 220 |
| 5 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 200 |
| 6 | Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea | 191 |
| 7 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 189 |
| 8 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 180 |
| 9 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 177 |
| 10 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 172 |
| 11 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 171 |
| 12 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 168 |
| 13 | MagpiePica pica | 167 |
| 14 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 165 |
| 15 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 157 |
| 16 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 156 |
| 17 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 149 |
| 18 | Great TitParus major | 136 |
| 19 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 133 |
| 20 | Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major | 129 |
Records by month
What to put out in Spofforth
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Nuthatch
Peanuts · Sunflower hearts · Suet
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- Song Thrush
Mealworms · Soaked sultanas · Fruit
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
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 Spofforth?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Spofforth are Nuthatch, Grey Wagtail, Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Song Thrush, based on 6,773 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Spofforth?
106 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Spofforth?
Observation records peak in March and are lowest in November. 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.