Birds of Keele
What has actually been seen around Keele: 146 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 146 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 39,479 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Mallard
- Busiest month
- March
- Elevation
- 183 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.9 h / 7.6 h
What the records say about Keele
146 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Keele (Staffordshire) since 2010, across 39,479 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Mallard, Woodpigeon and Blackbird.
Keele is a garden-bird place: 67% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Magpie and Carrion Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
12 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, 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 March and are lowest in October — about 3.1 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.
Madeley, 3 km to the west, has fewer species on record (141 against 146).
Daylight runs from 16 h 56 min at midsummer to 7 h 34 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:12 in mid-April and 4:42 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Keele
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 1,496 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,423 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,298 |
| 4 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 1,292 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 1,290 |
| 6 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,265 |
| 7 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,263 |
| 8 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 1,099 |
| 9 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,058 |
| 10 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,042 |
| 11 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,041 |
| 12 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 1,025 |
| 13 | Great TitParus major | 1,014 |
| 14 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 986 |
| 15 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 934 |
| 16 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 893 |
| 17 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 877 |
| 18 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 829 |
| 19 | Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus | 765 |
| 20 | BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula | 735 |
Records by month
What to put out in Keele
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Staffordshire
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 Keele?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Keele are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Magpie, Carrion Crow and Robin, based on 39,479 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Keele?
146 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Keele?
Observation records peak in March and are lowest in October. 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.