Birds of Sheffield
What has actually been seen around Sheffield: 153 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 153 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 48,751 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 75 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17 h / 7.5 h
What the records say about Sheffield
153 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Sheffield (Sheffield) since 2010, across 48,751 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Magpie and Blackbird.
Sheffield is a garden-bird place: 72% 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.
12 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Eurasian Sparrowhawk and Tawny 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 December — about 3.4 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.
Fulwood, 7 km to the south-west, has more species on record (170 against 153). Birds logged far more often around Sheffield than there include Lesser Black-backed Gull, Rock Pigeon, Bank Swallow and Mute Swan.
Daylight runs from 17 h 1 min at midsummer to 7 h 30 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:08 in mid-April and 4:36 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Sheffield
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 3,223 |
| 2 | MagpiePica pica | 2,860 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 2,741 |
| 4 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 2,633 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 2,536 |
| 6 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 2,307 |
| 7 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 2,285 |
| 8 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 1,910 |
| 9 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,753 |
| 10 | SwiftApus apus | 1,626 |
| 11 | Great TitParus major | 1,471 |
| 12 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,364 |
| 13 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 1,364 |
| 14 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 1,293 |
| 15 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 1,146 |
| 16 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 955 |
| 17 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 858 |
| 18 | Mandarin DuckAix galericulata | 793 |
| 19 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 750 |
| 20 | Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea | 738 |
Records by month
What to put out in Sheffield
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Sheffield
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 Sheffield?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Sheffield are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Blackbird, Robin and Blue Tit, based on 48,751 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Sheffield?
153 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Sheffield?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:36.
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.