Birds of Sunderland
What has actually been seen around Sunderland: 232 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 232 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 25,871 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 36 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.4 h / 7.2 h
What the records say about Sunderland
232 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Sunderland (Sunderland) since 2010, across 25,871 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, European Herring Gull and Blackbird.
Sunderland is a garden-bird place: 62% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Carrion Crow and Magpie make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
13 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 December — about 2.6 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.
Ryhope, 4 km to the south, has fewer species on record (198 against 232). Birds logged far more often around Sunderland than there include Eurasian Coot and Little Grebe.
Daylight runs from 17 h 21 min at midsummer to 7 h 11 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:04 in mid-April and 4:26 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Sunderland
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,006 |
| 2 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 935 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 851 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 799 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 795 |
| 6 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 691 |
| 7 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 674 |
| 8 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 673 |
| 9 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 613 |
| 10 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 598 |
| 11 | Great TitParus major | 566 |
| 12 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 549 |
| 13 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 542 |
| 14 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 509 |
| 15 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 470 |
| 16 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 455 |
| 17 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 421 |
| 18 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 414 |
| 19 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 400 |
| 20 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 396 |
Records by month
What to put out in Sunderland
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 Sunderland?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Sunderland are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Magpie and Blue Tit, based on 25,871 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Sunderland?
232 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Sunderland?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in December. 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.