Birds of Altrincham
What has actually been seen around Altrincham: 184 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 184 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 145,102 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- March
- Elevation
- 42 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17 h / 7.5 h
What the records say about Altrincham
184 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Altrincham (Trafford) since 2010, across 145,102 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Magpie and Robin.
Altrincham is a garden-bird place: 77% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Magpie, Robin and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
15 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Eurasian Sparrowhawk and Common Kestrel. 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 February — about 1.8 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.
Hale Barns, 3 km to the south-east, has fewer species on record (154 against 184). Birds logged far more often around Altrincham than there include Yellowhammer, Eurasian Teal and Common Linnet.
Daylight runs from 17 h 1 min at midsummer to 7 h 30 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:11 in mid-April and 4:40 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Altrincham
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 6,020 |
| 2 | MagpiePica pica | 5,759 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 5,666 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 5,632 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 5,525 |
| 6 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 5,458 |
| 7 | Great TitParus major | 5,390 |
| 8 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 4,748 |
| 9 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 4,555 |
| 10 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 4,241 |
| 11 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 4,119 |
| 12 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 3,966 |
| 13 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 3,860 |
| 14 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 3,699 |
| 15 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 3,547 |
| 16 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 3,171 |
| 17 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 2,983 |
| 18 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 2,799 |
| 19 | NuthatchSitta europaea | 2,354 |
| 20 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 2,281 |
Records by month
What to put out in Altrincham
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Trafford
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 Altrincham?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Altrincham are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Robin, Blackbird and Blue Tit, based on 145,102 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Altrincham?
184 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Altrincham?
Observation records peak in March and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 4:40.
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.