Birds of Formby
What has actually been seen around Formby: 184 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 184 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 24,099 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 12 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.1 h / 7.5 h
What the records say about Formby
184 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Formby (Sefton) since 2010, across 24,099 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow and Magpie.
Formby is a garden-bird place: 61% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
15 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel.
Records peak in April and are lowest in November — about 3.9 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.
Hightown, 4 km to the south, has more species on record (207 against 184).
Daylight runs from 17 h 3 min at midsummer to 7 h 28 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 Formby
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 928 |
| 2 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 793 |
| 3 | MagpiePica pica | 782 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 734 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 721 |
| 6 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 678 |
| 7 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 556 |
| 8 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 522 |
| 9 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 512 |
| 10 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 512 |
| 11 | Great TitParus major | 500 |
| 12 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 451 |
| 13 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 439 |
| 14 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 430 |
| 15 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 430 |
| 16 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 429 |
| 17 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 429 |
| 18 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 398 |
| 19 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 391 |
| 20 | Common GullLarus canus | 355 |
Records by month
What to put out in Formby
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
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 Formby?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Formby are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Blackbird and Robin, based on 24,099 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Formby?
184 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Formby?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in November. 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.