Birds of Houghton-Le-Spring
What has actually been seen around Houghton-Le-Spring: 202 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 202 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 56,141 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 79 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.3 h / 7.2 h
What the records say about Houghton-Le-Spring
202 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Houghton-Le-Spring (Sunderland) since 2010, across 56,141 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Magpie.
Water shapes this list. 40% of records near Houghton-Le-Spring are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — European Herring Gull, Mute Swan and Mallard lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.
16 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel, Common Buzzard 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 April and are lowest in September — about 2.5 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.
West Rainton, 4 km to the south-west, has a similar number of species on record (202 against 202).
Daylight runs from 17 h 20 min at midsummer to 7 h 12 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:05 in mid-April and 4:26 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Houghton-Le-Spring
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,449 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,325 |
| 3 | MagpiePica pica | 1,267 |
| 4 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 1,260 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,257 |
| 6 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 1,236 |
| 7 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 1,236 |
| 8 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,187 |
| 9 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,157 |
| 10 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 1,156 |
| 11 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 1,088 |
| 12 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 1,073 |
| 13 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 1,064 |
| 14 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,056 |
| 15 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,033 |
| 16 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 1,030 |
| 17 | Great TitParus major | 989 |
| 18 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 984 |
| 19 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 960 |
| 20 | Tufted DuckAythya fuligula | 952 |
Records by month
What to put out in Houghton-Le-Spring
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Sunderland
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 Houghton-Le-Spring?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Houghton-Le-Spring are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Magpie, Carrion Crow and Jackdaw, based on 56,141 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Houghton-Le-Spring?
202 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Houghton-Le-Spring?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in September. Sunrise in late June is around 4:26.
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.