Birds of Harpole
What has actually been seen around Harpole: 120 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 120 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 7,395 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Busiest month
- August
- Elevation
- 88 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.8 h / 7.7 h
What the records say about Harpole
120 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Harpole (West Northamptonshire) since 2010, across 7,395 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon and Robin.
Water shapes this list. 50% of records near Harpole are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Lesser Black-backed Gull, Black-headed Gull and Mallard lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.
8 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Common Buzzard 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 August and are lowest in November — about 12.9 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.
Bugbrooke, 4 km to the south-west, has fewer species on record (98 against 120). Birds logged far more often around Harpole than there include European Herring Gull, Great Cormorant, Coal Tit and Goldcrest.
Daylight runs from 16 h 47 min at midsummer to 7 h 42 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:08 in mid-April and 4:41 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Harpole
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 2,950 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 238 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 233 |
| 4 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 208 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 179 |
| 6 | MagpiePica pica | 178 |
| 7 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 168 |
| 8 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 168 |
| 9 | Great TitParus major | 166 |
| 10 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 151 |
| 11 | SwiftApus apus | 132 |
| 12 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 100 |
| 13 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 96 |
| 14 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 95 |
| 15 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 94 |
| 16 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 80 |
| 17 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 79 |
| 18 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 76 |
| 19 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 76 |
| 20 | GreenfinchChloris chloris | 71 |
Records by month
What to put out in Harpole
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for West Northamptonshire
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 Harpole?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Harpole are Woodpigeon, Robin, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow and Magpie, based on 7,395 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Harpole?
120 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Harpole?
Observation records peak in August and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:41.
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.