Birds of Thirsk
What has actually been seen around Thirsk: 105 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 105 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 2,248 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 37 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.2 h / 7.3 h
What the records say about Thirsk
105 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Thirsk (North Yorkshire) since 2010, across 2,248 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Carrion Crow.
Thirsk is a garden-bird place: 77% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Carrion Crow and House Sparrow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
9 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel 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 April and are lowest in November — about 14.8 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.
Bagby, 4 km to the south-east, has a similar number of species on record (108 against 105).
Daylight runs from 17 h 12 min at midsummer to 7 h 20 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:06 in mid-April and 4:30 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Thirsk
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 163 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 104 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 95 |
| 4 | SwiftApus apus | 85 |
| 5 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 82 |
| 6 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 76 |
| 7 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 68 |
| 8 | MagpiePica pica | 66 |
| 9 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 65 |
| 10 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 64 |
| 11 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 58 |
| 12 | Great TitParus major | 56 |
| 13 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 54 |
| 14 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 53 |
| 15 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 52 |
| 16 | Tree SparrowPasser montanus | 50 |
| 17 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 45 |
| 18 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 44 |
| 19 | GreenfinchChloris chloris | 44 |
| 20 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 43 |
Records by month
What to put out in Thirsk
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
- Collared Dove
Seed mix
- Goldfinch
Nyjer seed · Sunflower hearts
- Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
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 Thirsk?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Thirsk are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow and Collared Dove, based on 2,248 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Thirsk?
105 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Thirsk?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:30.
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.