Birds of Rufforth
What has actually been seen around Rufforth: 131 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 131 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 6,037 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- March
- Elevation
- 18 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.1 h / 7.4 h
What the records say about Rufforth
131 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Rufforth (York) since 2010, across 6,037 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Robin.
Rufforth is a garden-bird place: 75% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin and Magpie make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
10 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 March and are lowest in November — about 4.8 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.
Nether Poppleton, 5 km to the north-east, has more species on record (136 against 131).
Daylight runs from 17 h 8 min at midsummer to 7 h 23 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:06 in mid-April and 4:31 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Rufforth
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 458 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 428 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 302 |
| 4 | MagpiePica pica | 242 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 236 |
| 6 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 217 |
| 7 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 187 |
| 8 | Great TitParus major | 155 |
| 9 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 152 |
| 10 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 150 |
| 11 | SwiftApus apus | 147 |
| 12 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 144 |
| 13 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 128 |
| 14 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 113 |
| 15 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 110 |
| 16 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 102 |
| 17 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 101 |
| 18 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 99 |
| 19 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 99 |
| 20 | Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus | 91 |
Records by month
What to put out in Rufforth
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for York
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 Rufforth?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Rufforth are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin, Magpie and Blue Tit, based on 6,037 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Rufforth?
131 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Rufforth?
Observation records peak in March and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:31.
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.