Birds of Middleton
What has actually been seen around Middleton: 134 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 134 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 26,510 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 87 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.1 h / 7.5 h
What the records say about Middleton
134 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Middleton (Rochdale) since 2010, across 26,510 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Magpie and Blackbird.
Middleton is a garden-bird place: 67% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Magpie, Blackbird and Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
9 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 April and are lowest in September — 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.
Oldham, 6 km to the east, has fewer species on record (110 against 134). Birds logged far more often around Middleton than there include Mute Swan, Tufted Duck, Rose-ringed Parakeet and White-throated Dipper.
Daylight runs from 17 h 3 min at midsummer to 7 h 28 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 Middleton
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,266 |
| 2 | MagpiePica pica | 1,235 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,223 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,119 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,053 |
| 6 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 953 |
| 7 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 938 |
| 8 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 788 |
| 9 | Great TitParus major | 754 |
| 10 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 736 |
| 11 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 730 |
| 12 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 714 |
| 13 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 699 |
| 14 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 677 |
| 15 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 669 |
| 16 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 665 |
| 17 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 614 |
| 18 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 502 |
| 19 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 498 |
| 20 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 481 |
Records by month
What to put out in Middleton
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Rochdale
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 Middleton?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Middleton are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Blackbird, Robin and Carrion Crow, based on 26,510 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Middleton?
134 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Middleton?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in September. 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.