Birds of Belford
What has actually been seen around Belford: 212 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 212 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 19,100 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Eurasian Curlew
- Busiest month
- October
- Elevation
- 56 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.5 h / 7 h
What the records say about Belford
212 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Belford (Northumberland) since 2010, across 19,100 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Eurasian Curlew, Common Shelduck and Black-headed Gull.
Water shapes this list. 64% of records near Belford are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Eurasian Curlew, Common Shelduck and Black-headed Gull lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Carrion Crow is still the most logged garden bird.
14 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel.
Records peak in October and are lowest in April — about 4.2 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.
Seahouses, 11 km to the east, has more species on record (236 against 212). Birds logged far more often around Belford than there include Common Shelduck, Pink-footed Goose, Eurasian Wigeon and Little Egret.
Daylight runs from 17 h 31 min at midsummer to 7 h 2 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:04 in mid-April and 4:22 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Belford
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 654 |
| 2 | Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna | 616 |
| 3 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 594 |
| 4 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 575 |
| 5 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 570 |
| 6 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 527 |
| 7 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 520 |
| 8 | Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus | 476 |
| 9 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 427 |
| 10 | Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchus | 426 |
| 11 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 413 |
| 12 | Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope | 404 |
| 13 | Little EgretEgretta garzetta | 395 |
| 14 | Eurasian TealAnas crecca | 379 |
| 15 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 319 |
| 16 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 300 |
| 17 | Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsis | 293 |
| 18 | Common EiderSomateria mollissima | 283 |
| 19 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 283 |
| 20 | Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata | 282 |
Records by month
What to put out in Belford
Seasonal bird notes for Northumberland
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 Belford?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Belford are Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Jackdaw and Chaffinch, based on 19,100 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Belford?
212 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Belford?
Observation records peak in October and are lowest in April. Sunrise in late June is around 4:22.
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.