Birds of Whitby
What has actually been seen around Whitby: 189 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 189 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 11,207 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- European Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- August
- Elevation
- 14 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.3 h / 7.3 h
What the records say about Whitby
189 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Whitby (North Yorkshire) since 2010, across 11,207 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Great Cormorant and Ruddy Turnstone.
Water shapes this list. 42% of records near Whitby are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — European Herring Gull, Great Cormorant and Ruddy Turnstone lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.
13 birds of prey are on record nearby, including 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 August and are lowest in December — 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.
Sleights, 5 km to the south-west, has fewer species on record (154 against 189). Birds logged far more often around Whitby than there include Northern Fulmar and Black-legged Kittiwake.
Daylight runs from 17 h 15 min at midsummer to 7 h 17 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:02 in mid-April and 4:26 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Whitby
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 891 |
| 2 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 408 |
| 3 | Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpres | 388 |
| 4 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 369 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 357 |
| 6 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 349 |
| 7 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 349 |
| 8 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 336 |
| 9 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 297 |
| 10 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 286 |
| 11 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 279 |
| 12 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 260 |
| 13 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 240 |
| 14 | Northern FulmarFulmarus glacialis | 238 |
| 15 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 234 |
| 16 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 217 |
| 17 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 200 |
| 18 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 199 |
| 19 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 177 |
| 20 | Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus | 170 |
Records by month
What to put out in Whitby
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Starling
Suet · Mealworms
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- Pied Wagtail
Mealworms
- Goldfinch
Nyjer seed · Sunflower hearts
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 Whitby?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Whitby are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Starling, House Sparrow and Blackbird, based on 11,207 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Whitby?
189 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Whitby?
Observation records peak in August and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:26.
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.