Birds of Shaw
What has actually been seen around Shaw: 114 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 114 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 23,417 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Goldfinch
- Busiest month
- March
- Elevation
- 245 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.1 h / 7.5 h
What the records say about Shaw
114 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Shaw (Oldham) since 2010, across 23,417 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Goldfinch, Blue Tit and Great Tit.
Shaw is a garden-bird place: 95% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Goldfinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit and Rock Pigeon make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
8 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Eurasian Sparrowhawk 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 March and are lowest in August — about 2.0 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.
Lees, 3 km to the south, has fewer species on record (107 against 114). Birds logged far more often around Shaw than there include Eurasian Oystercatcher, Eurasian Skylark and European Stonechat.
At about 245 m above sea level, Shaw sits higher than most places in Oldham. Spring arrives a little later with height, and feeders matter more in cold snaps — keep a supply of high-fat food going through late winter.
Daylight runs from 17 h 3 min at midsummer to 7 h 27 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:10 in mid-April and 4:38 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Shaw
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,887 |
| 2 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,883 |
| 3 | Great TitParus major | 1,854 |
| 4 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 1,472 |
| 5 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 1,427 |
| 6 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 1,373 |
| 7 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,300 |
| 8 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 1,017 |
| 9 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,004 |
| 10 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 923 |
| 11 | NuthatchSitta europaea | 916 |
| 12 | GreenfinchChloris chloris | 881 |
| 13 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 821 |
| 14 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 821 |
| 15 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 764 |
| 16 | MagpiePica pica | 689 |
| 17 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 431 |
| 18 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 427 |
| 19 | Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major | 420 |
| 20 | BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula | 300 |
Records by month
What to put out in Shaw
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Oldham
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 Shaw?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Shaw are Goldfinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Rock Pigeon and Coal Tit, based on 23,417 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Shaw?
114 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Shaw?
Observation records peak in March and are lowest in August. Sunrise in late June is around 4:38.
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.