Birds of Skelton
What has actually been seen around Skelton: 196 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 196 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 10,663 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 102 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.3 h / 7.3 h
What the records say about Skelton
196 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Skelton (Redcar and Cleveland) since 2010, across 10,663 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Robin.
Skelton is a garden-bird place: 68% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin and Chaffinch make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
14 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Barn Owl. 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 September — about 4.5 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.
Lingdale, 3 km to the south-east, has fewer species on record (174 against 196).
Daylight runs from 17 h 16 min at midsummer to 7 h 16 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:03 in mid-April and 4:27 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Skelton
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 503 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 453 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 388 |
| 4 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 373 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 319 |
| 6 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 319 |
| 7 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 318 |
| 8 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 315 |
| 9 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 305 |
| 10 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 278 |
| 11 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 272 |
| 12 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 270 |
| 13 | Great TitParus major | 254 |
| 14 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 252 |
| 15 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 238 |
| 16 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 208 |
| 17 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 184 |
| 18 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 179 |
| 19 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 162 |
| 20 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 160 |
Records by month
What to put out in Skelton
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Redcar and Cleveland
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 Skelton?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Skelton are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin, Chaffinch and Magpie, based on 10,663 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Skelton?
196 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Skelton?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in September. Sunrise in late June is around 4:27.
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.