Birds of South Elmsall
What has actually been seen around South Elmsall: 149 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 149 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 17,919 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Blackbird
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 67 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.1 h / 7.5 h
What the records say about South Elmsall
149 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of South Elmsall (Wakefield) since 2010, across 17,919 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Blackbird, Woodpigeon and Robin.
South Elmsall is a garden-bird place: 66% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Robin and Magpie make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
15 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 April and are lowest in July — about 8.5 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.
Hemsworth, 5 km to the west, has more species on record (158 against 149). Birds logged far more often around South Elmsall than there include Little Grebe.
Daylight runs from 17 h 4 min at midsummer to 7 h 27 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:07 in mid-April and 4:34 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near South Elmsall
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 542 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 530 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 517 |
| 4 | MagpiePica pica | 502 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 484 |
| 6 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 469 |
| 7 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 452 |
| 8 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 431 |
| 9 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 426 |
| 10 | Great TitParus major | 420 |
| 11 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 408 |
| 12 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 392 |
| 13 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 391 |
| 14 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 380 |
| 15 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 367 |
| 16 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 346 |
| 17 | Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensis | 343 |
| 18 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 342 |
| 19 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 332 |
| 20 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 322 |
Records by month
What to put out in South Elmsall
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
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 South Elmsall?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of South Elmsall are Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Robin, Magpie and Carrion Crow, based on 17,919 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near South Elmsall?
149 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in South Elmsall?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in July. 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.