Birds of Darrington
What has actually been seen around Darrington: 130 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 130 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 4,156 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 45 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.1 h / 7.4 h
What the records say about Darrington
130 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Darrington (Wakefield) since 2010, across 4,156 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Carrion Crow.
Darrington is a garden-bird place: 69% 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 Blue Tit make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
14 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Red Kite. 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 19.7 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.
Pontefract, 3 km to the north-west, has a similar number of species on record (131 against 130). Birds logged far more often around Darrington than there include Yellowhammer and Common Whitethroat.
Daylight runs from 17 h 5 min at midsummer to 7 h 26 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:06 in mid-April and 4:34 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Darrington
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 298 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 278 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 153 |
| 4 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 150 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 145 |
| 6 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 134 |
| 7 | SwiftApus apus | 119 |
| 8 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 118 |
| 9 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 113 |
| 10 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 113 |
| 11 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 99 |
| 12 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 97 |
| 13 | Great TitParus major | 92 |
| 14 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 89 |
| 15 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 84 |
| 16 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 79 |
| 17 | Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus | 77 |
| 18 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 66 |
| 19 | YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella | 65 |
| 20 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 63 |
Records by month
What to put out in Darrington
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
- Goldfinch
Nyjer seed · Sunflower hearts
Seasonal bird notes for Wakefield
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 Darrington?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Darrington are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit and Magpie, based on 4,156 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Darrington?
130 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Darrington?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in September. Sunrise in late June is around 4:34.
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.