Birds of South Shields
What has actually been seen around South Shields: 236 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 236 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 59,459 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- European Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 12 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.4 h / 7.2 h
What the records say about South Shields
236 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of South Shields (South Tyneside) since 2010, across 59,459 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Carrion Crow and Woodpigeon.
South Shields 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. Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Magpie make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
15 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel and 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 January and are lowest in July — about 2.1 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.
Jarrow, 4 km to the south-west, has fewer species on record (204 against 236). Birds logged far more often around South Shields than there include Meadow Pipit, Northern Fulmar, Sandwich Tern and Sanderling.
Daylight runs from 17 h 23 min at midsummer to 7 h 10 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:04 in mid-April and 4:25 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near South Shields
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 3,549 |
| 2 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 2,558 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 2,444 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 2,039 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 1,935 |
| 6 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 1,802 |
| 7 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,719 |
| 8 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,603 |
| 9 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 1,568 |
| 10 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 1,549 |
| 11 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 1,541 |
| 12 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,527 |
| 13 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,394 |
| 14 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,389 |
| 15 | Great TitParus major | 1,148 |
| 16 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 1,097 |
| 17 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 1,024 |
| 18 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 995 |
| 19 | Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus | 961 |
| 20 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 888 |
Records by month
What to put out in South Shields
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for South Tyneside
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 South Shields?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of South Shields are Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Magpie and Goldfinch, based on 59,459 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near South Shields?
236 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in South Shields?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in July. Sunrise in late June is around 4:25.
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.