Birds of Swinton
What has actually been seen around Swinton: 152 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 152 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 37,678 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- March
- Elevation
- 46 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17 h / 7.5 h
What the records say about Swinton
152 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Swinton (Salford) since 2010, across 37,678 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Magpie and Blackbird.
Swinton is a garden-bird place: 71% 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.
13 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Peregrine Falcon. 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 2.3 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.
Walkden, 4 km to the north-west, has a similar number of species on record (156 against 152). Birds logged far more often around Swinton than there include Peregrine Falcon.
Daylight runs from 17 h 2 min at midsummer to 7 h 28 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:11 in mid-April and 4:39 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Swinton
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 2,439 |
| 2 | MagpiePica pica | 2,133 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,850 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,637 |
| 5 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 1,557 |
| 6 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,413 |
| 7 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,411 |
| 8 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 1,409 |
| 9 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,334 |
| 10 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,073 |
| 11 | Great TitParus major | 1,035 |
| 12 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 962 |
| 13 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 945 |
| 14 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 905 |
| 15 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 904 |
| 16 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 807 |
| 17 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 797 |
| 18 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 756 |
| 19 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 716 |
| 20 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 611 |
Records by month
What to put out in Swinton
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Salford
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 Swinton?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Swinton are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Blackbird, Robin and Rock Pigeon, based on 37,678 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Swinton?
152 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Swinton?
Observation records peak in March and are lowest in August. Sunrise in late June is around 4:39.
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.