Birds of Bootle
What has actually been seen around Bootle: 249 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 249 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 163,903 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- European Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 15 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17 h / 7.5 h
What the records say about Bootle
249 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Bootle (Sefton) since 2010, across 163,903 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Magpie and Woodpigeon.
Water shapes this list. 50% of records near Bootle are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — European Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Magpie is still the most logged garden bird.
17 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Eurasian Sparrowhawk. 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 December — about 2.2 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.
Wallasey, 6 km to the south-west, has fewer species on record (234 against 249). Birds logged far more often around Bootle than there include Tufted Duck, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit and Northern Shoveler.
Daylight runs from 17 h 2 min at midsummer to 7 h 29 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:14 in mid-April and 4:42 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Bootle
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 5,075 |
| 2 | MagpiePica pica | 4,856 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 4,725 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 4,318 |
| 5 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 4,122 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 3,895 |
| 7 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 3,827 |
| 8 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 3,680 |
| 9 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 3,573 |
| 10 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 3,422 |
| 11 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 3,422 |
| 12 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 3,188 |
| 13 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 3,188 |
| 14 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 3,018 |
| 15 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 3,004 |
| 16 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 2,956 |
| 17 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 2,938 |
| 18 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 2,904 |
| 19 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 2,863 |
| 20 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 2,792 |
Records by month
What to put out in Bootle
Seasonal bird notes for Sefton
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 Bootle?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Bootle are Magpie, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Blackbird and Rock Pigeon, based on 163,903 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Bootle?
249 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Bootle?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:42.
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.