Birds to See in Durham in July
132 species matching this filter.
Durham in July is a vibrant time for birdwatching, with 132 species recorded across the county's diverse habitats, from the upland moors of the Pennines to the coastal mudflats and estuaries of the North Sea. Notable species to look out for include Barn Owl hunting over farmland at dusk, Common Sandpiper along riverbanks, and Common Reed-warbler singing from reedbeds in the lowland wetlands. Summer visitors are in full breeding activity, making July an excellent month to enjoy Durham's rich and varied birdlife.
Resident
(96)
Barn Owl
Tyto albaLC
A rare but year-round resident, hunting over rough grassland and farmland. Ghostly white form sometimes seen at dusk along country lanes.
Year-round
Black Grouse
Lyrurus tetrixLC
A rare and declining resident of moorland edges and rough pasture in the Durham dales. Males display at traditional lek sites in spring.
Year-round
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
A rare year-round visitor to Durham's wetlands and coastal mudflats. Numbers have increased nationally but sightings here remain scarce.
Jun–Apr
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
One of Durham's most familiar garden birds, resident year-round. Continental migrants bolster numbers in autumn and winter.
Year-round
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleusLC
An abundant and familiar garden resident year-round, also thriving in woodland, hedgerows, and parks across the county.
Year-round
Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC
An uncommon but year-round resident of Durham's hedgerows and woodland edges, often betrayed by its soft, piping call.
Year-round
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
An uncommon year-round resident, often seen soaring over farmland and woodland. Numbers have increased significantly in recent decades.
Year-round
Canada Goose
Branta canadensisLC
An uncommon but well-established resident on lakes, rivers and park ponds throughout the county year-round.
Year-round
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
A common and adaptable resident found across all habitats from urban centres to upland pastures throughout the year.
Year-round
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
A common and familiar resident of Durham's woodlands, hedgerows, and gardens, with a bold, ringing song heard year-round.
Year-round
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
A year-round resident found in woodlands and gardens across Durham. Its repetitive 'chiff-chaff' song is one of the earliest signs of spring.
Year-round
Coal Tit
Periparus aterLC
Common year-round in coniferous and mixed woodland, readily visiting garden feeders. Often hoards seeds for winter.
Year-round
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
Present year-round on farmland, playing fields, and reservoirs. More numerous in winter when northern birds boost local numbers.
Year-round
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthisLC
An uncommon year-round resident along clean rivers and streams. A flash of electric blue darting low over the water reveals its presence.
Year-round
Common Merganser
Mergus merganserLC
An uncommon resident breeding along the River Wear and Tees. Often seen in small parties fishing on fast-flowing stretches.
Year-round
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
A common resident found across farmland, woodland edges and hedgerows throughout the county, largely sustained by annual releases.
Year-round
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
A rare resident found in birch and alder woodland, sometimes visiting garden feeders in winter with siskin flocks.
Year-round
Common Scoter
Melanitta nigraLC
A rare but near year-round presence offshore. Small flocks are seen from the Durham coast, with numbers peaking during passage.
May–Mar
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
An uncommon resident breeding along the Durham coast and estuaries. Also found inland at reservoirs and gravel pits.
Year-round
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
A scarce year-round resident of boggy moorland and wet meadows. Its drumming display in spring is heard on Durham's uplands but declining breeding numbers.
Year-round
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
A common resident seen in towns, farmland and gardens throughout the year. Winter roosts can form spectacular murmurations over Durham's urban areas.
Year-round
Coot
Fulica atraLC
An uncommon resident found on larger lakes and reservoirs across the county. Numbers may increase in winter with visiting birds.
Year-round
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
A common resident breeding on Durham's upland moors and rough pastures. Its evocative bubbling call is a defining sound of the county's moorlands.
Year-round
Dipper
Cinclus cinclusLC
A charismatic resident of fast-flowing rivers and streams in the Pennine dales and Wear valley. Bobs on rocks year-round, even in winter spate.
Year-round
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
An uncommon year-round resident found on coastal mudflats and upland moorland breeding sites. Numbers peak in autumn with passage birds.
Year-round
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
A common resident throughout Durham, found in gardens, hedgerows, and woodland undergrowth year-round. Often heard before seen.
Year-round
Eider
Somateria mollissimaNT
An uncommon year-round resident along the Durham coastline. Breeds on rocky shores and forms moulting rafts offshore in summer.
Year-round
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
An uncommon resident of gardens, farms and suburban areas throughout Durham. Its monotonous three-note call is a familiar sound.
Year-round
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandariusLC
An uncommon but year-round resident of mature broadleaved and mixed woodland. Often heard giving its harsh screeching call.
Year-round
Eurasian Nuthatch
Sitta europaeaLC
An uncommon but increasing resident of mature deciduous woodland. Listen for its loud ringing call in parks and wooded valleys across the county.
Year-round
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
A common resident breeding on shingle beaches, river gravels and farmland. Noisy and conspicuous along the Durham coast and rivers.
Year-round
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
An uncommon resident favouring conifer plantations and alder-lined waterways. Numbers fluctuate, with winter flocks visiting garden feeders in some years.
Year-round
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
Uncommon resident of open farmland and upland pastures. Declining nationally, but its song flight still graces Durham's fields.
Year-round
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanusLC
An uncommon resident favouring farmland with hedgerows and rural gardens, less tied to buildings than its commoner cousin.
Year-round
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
An uncommon resident, with numbers swelling in winter when Icelandic and Scandinavian birds join locals on reservoirs and flooded fields.
Year-round
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
One of Durham's most abundant residents, found in almost every habitat from gardens to moorland edges. Its powerful song belies its tiny size.
Year-round
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
A common and increasing resident, flocking on teasel and thistle heads across Durham's gardens and waste ground year-round.
Year-round
European Green Woodpecker
Picus viridisLC
A rare resident near the northern edge of its UK range. Its loud, laughing call carries across parkland and woodland edges.
Jan–Oct
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
A common resident found year-round along the coast, at tips, and in urban areas. Noisy and conspicuous across Durham's towns.
Year-round
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
A beloved year-round resident of gardens, woodland and hedgerows. One of the most confiding birds in Durham, often singing through winter.
Year-round
European Shag
Phalacrocorax aristotelisLC
A rare resident along Durham's rocky coastline. Smaller and darker than the Great Cormorant, with a distinctive wispy crest in spring.
Jun–Mar
Gadwall
Mareca streperaLC
An uncommon year-round resident favouring lakes and reservoirs with vegetated margins. Has increased in recent decades across the region.
Year-round
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
A tiny resident of coniferous and mixed woodland, present year-round. Numbers swell in autumn with continental migrants arriving along the coast.
Year-round
Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricariaLC
An uncommon resident breeding on upland moors in summer. Large flocks gather on lowland fields in autumn and winter.
Year-round
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
An uncommon but imposing resident, seen year-round along the coast and at reservoirs. The largest gull in the region.
Year-round
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
A common year-round resident found along rivers, reservoirs, and the coast. Often seen perched with wings outstretched to dry.
Year-round
Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatusLC
An uncommon resident breeding on larger lakes and reservoirs. Performs its elaborate courtship display in spring at sites across Durham.
Year-round
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos majorLC
An uncommon year-round resident of mature woodland and parks. Its loud drumming in spring echoes through Durham's deciduous woods.
Year-round
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
Common resident in gardens, woodland, and parkland throughout the year. Its loud, ringing song is heard from January onwards.
Year-round
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
An uncommon resident visiting garden feeders, though numbers have declined sharply due to trichomonosis disease.
Year-round
Greenshank
Tringa nebulariaLC
A rare but regular visitor, mainly on autumn passage from July to October at reservoirs and coastal wetlands. Distinctive ringing call aids identification.
Jul–Mar
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
An uncommon but year-round resident, found along rivers, ponds, and wetlands. Often seen standing motionless at the water's edge.
Year-round
Grey Partridge
Perdix perdixLC
A rare and declining resident of arable farmland in lowland Durham. Numbers have fallen sharply due to agricultural intensification.
Year-round
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
An uncommon resident along Durham's fast-flowing rivers and streams, bobbing its long tail on rocks year-round.
Year-round
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
An uncommon year-round resident found on reservoirs, lakes and farmland. Feral populations breed locally alongside truly wild birds.
Year-round
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
A common resident closely tied to Durham's towns and villages, nesting under eaves and gathering in noisy colonies.
Year-round
Jackdaw
Corvus monedulaLC
Common and sociable resident, nesting in old buildings, church towers, and tree cavities. Often seen in noisy flocks with rooks.
Year-round
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
An uncommon year-round resident, hovering over roadside verges and open farmland. One of Durham's most visible birds of prey.
Year-round
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
Uncommon year-round resident, more numerous in summer. Frequents the coast, landfill sites, and inland water bodies.
Year-round
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
An uncommon resident of Durham's gorse-covered commons and farmland hedgerows, declining due to loss of seed-rich habitats.
Year-round
Little Egret
Egretta garzettaLC
A recent colonist now resident year-round, favouring the Wear and Tees estuaries and coastal pools. Still uncommon but increasingly established.
Year-round
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
An uncommon year-round resident on sheltered ponds, lakes, and slow rivers. Often heard before seen, with a distinctive trilling call.
Year-round
Little Owl
Athene noctuaLC
A rare resident of lowland farmland with old trees and stone walls. Often bobs comically when perched; most active at dawn and dusk.
Nov–Sep
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatusLC
Resident all year, often seen in noisy family flocks moving through hedgerows and woodland. Regularly visits garden feeders in winter.
Year-round
Magpie
Pica picaLC
A bold and familiar resident, common in gardens, parks, and farmland throughout the county all year round.
Year-round
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
The commonest duck in the county, found year-round on rivers, lakes, park ponds and farmland pools throughout Durham.
Year-round
Marsh Tit
Poecile palustrisLC
A rare and declining resident near the northern edge of its UK range. Favours mature deciduous woodland with dense understorey.
Year-round
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
An uncommon resident of Durham's moorlands and rough grasslands, delivering its parachuting song flight over the Pennine fringes.
Year-round
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorusLC
An uncommon but widespread resident of parkland and open woodland. Often sings from exposed treetops even in midwinter.
Year-round
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
A common resident of ponds, rivers and waterways throughout Durham. Readily seen on urban park lakes and along the River Wear.
Year-round
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
An uncommon year-round resident gracing the River Wear and larger lakes. Pairs breed on sheltered waterways across the county.
Year-round
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
A common resident of Durham's farmland and upland pastures year-round. Declining nationally but still seen in tumbling display flights over fields in spring.
Year-round
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinusLC
Rare resident, famously nesting on Durham Cathedral. Hunts pigeons over the city rooftops and along the river corridor.
Jun–Apr
Pochard
Aythya ferinaVU
A rare year-round resident on deeper lakes and reservoirs. Numbers have declined significantly in recent decades across the UK.
Year-round
Razorbill
Alca tordaLC
A rare resident seen offshore mainly in late summer and autumn, with some midwinter records. Best spotted from coastal headlands.
Jul–Jan
Red Crossbill
Loxia curvirostraLC
A rare and nomadic resident of Durham's conifer plantations, with erratic appearances linked to spruce cone crops.
Jun–Mar
Red Kite
Milvus milvusLC
A rare but increasingly seen resident, soaring over farmland and woodland edges. Durham lies at the edge of its expanding range.
Feb–Dec
Red-throated Loon
Gavia stellataLC
A rare resident seen offshore most of the year. Often flies low over the sea in ones and twos past Durham's coastal watchpoints.
Jun–Mar
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
An uncommon year-round resident found on coastal mudflats and inland wet grasslands. Its loud piping alarm call is distinctive at breeding sites.
Year-round
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
An uncommon year-round resident of wetlands, reedbeds, and damp ditches. Often seen at sites like Rainton Meadows and along river margins.
Year-round
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
An uncommon resident nesting on shingle beaches and river gravels. Numbers bolstered by passage birds in spring and autumn.
Year-round
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
An uncommon resident; feral populations frequent towns and coastal cliffs. True wild-type birds may persist along the Durham coast.
Year-round
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
Uncommon resident found in farmland rookeries, though declining across the region. Gregarious, often feeding in ploughed fields.
Year-round
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpresLC
An uncommon but year-round presence on Durham's rocky shoreline, flipping stones and seaweed to find invertebrates. Most numerous outside summer.
Year-round
Sanderling
Calidris albaLC
A scarce but year-round visitor to Durham's sandy beaches, often seen in small flocks running along the tideline. Most numerous on passage.
May–Mar
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
A common resident of gardens, hedgerows and woodland across Durham. Its melodious, repetitive song is heard from late winter onwards.
Year-round
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
An uncommon year-round resident of woodlands and gardens. Dashes through hedgerows and along garden fences in pursuit of small birds.
Year-round
Stock Dove
Columba oenasLC
An uncommon but widespread resident of mature woodland and parkland, often nesting in tree holes across lowland Durham.
Year-round
Stonechat
Saxicola torquatusLC
A scarce resident found year-round on Durham's coastal gorse and upland heath, often perching prominently on bushes.
Year-round
Tawny Owl
Strix alucoLC
A rare but year-round resident of mature woodland. More often heard than seen, its familiar hooting carries through Durham's woods at night.
Year-round
Treecreeper
Certhia familiarisLC
An unobtrusive resident that spirals up tree trunks in mature woodland and parkland. Present year-round but easily overlooked.
Year-round
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
An uncommon year-round resident on lakes and reservoirs. Breeds locally and numbers increase in winter with Continental arrivals.
Year-round
Western Marsh-harrier
Circus aeruginosusLC
A rare but increasingly recorded resident, favouring reedbeds and wetland margins. Durham sightings reflect a wider national recovery.
Jun–Mar
Willow Tit
Poecile montanusLC
Uncommon resident of damp woodland and scrubby hedgerows. A nationally declining species, Durham remains a relative stronghold.
Year-round
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
An abundant resident found in gardens, parks, woodland, and farmland throughout the county. Numbers swell in autumn with continental immigrants.
Year-round
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinellaLC
An uncommon resident of hedgerows and farmland edges. Has declined significantly but still found year-round in lowland agricultural areas.
Year-round
Breeding
(28)
Avocet
Recurvirostra avosettaLC
A rare breeding visitor, part of the species' northward expansion. Present at coastal wetlands from late winter through autumn.
Feb–Oct
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rusticaLC
A common summer breeder from April to October, nesting in farm buildings and barns across rural Durham.
Apr–Oct
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
An uncommon breeder in mature woodland and tall scrub from spring through autumn. Some overwinter, visiting garden feeders for fruit and berries.
Mar–Oct
Common Redstart
Phoenicurus phoenicurusLC
A rare breeding visitor to Durham's upland oak woodlands from April to September, favouring mature trees with nest holes.
Apr–Sep
Common Reed-warbler
Acrocephalus scirpaceusLC
A rare breeding visitor near the northern limit of its range, found in reedbeds from April to August.
Apr–Aug
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucosLC
An uncommon summer breeder along Durham's rivers and reservoirs from April to September. Bobs constantly on waterside rocks and stones.
Apr–Sep
Common Swift
Apus apusLC
A common summer breeder screaming over Durham's towns and villages from May to August, nesting under eaves of older buildings.
May–Sep
Common Tern
Sterna hirundoLC
An uncommon breeding visitor from May to October, found at coastal sites and occasionally inland reservoirs across Durham.
May–Oct
Corn Bunting
Emberiza calandraLC
A rare and declining breeding species, clinging on in scattered arable farmland pockets. Its jangling song is now seldom heard in the county.
May–Jul
Cuckoo
Cuculus canorusLC
An uncommon summer breeder arriving in May, favouring moorland edges and wooded valleys. Declining across the county in recent decades.
May–Jul
Fulmar
Fulmarus glacialisLC
A rare breeder along Durham's coastal cliffs, present from spring through autumn. Stiff-winged flight distinguishes it from gulls offshore.
Jan–Sep
Garden Warbler
Sylvia borinLC
An uncommon summer visitor to dense woodland with thick undergrowth. Its rich warbling song can be heard from April, though the bird itself is often elusive.
Apr–Sep
Grasshopper Warbler
Locustella naeviaLC
A rare and secretive summer breeder, more often heard reeling from dense scrub and rough grassland than seen.
Apr–Jul
House Martin
Delichon urbicumLC
An uncommon summer visitor nesting under eaves in towns and villages. Numbers have declined notably in recent decades.
Apr–Oct
Kittiwake
Rissa tridactylaVU
Breeds in small numbers on Durham's coastal cliffs from spring through autumn. This declining species is increasingly scarce across the UK.
Mar–Nov
Lesser Whitethroat
Curruca currucaLC
A rare breeding visitor favouring tall hedgerows and scrubby thickets. Near the northern edge of its English range in Durham.
Apr–Oct
Little Ringed Plover
Charadrius dubiusLC
A rare summer breeder favouring gravel pits and reservoir margins. One of the earliest spring migrants, arriving from April.
Apr–Aug
Little Tern
Sternula albifronsLC
A rare summer breeder from May to August, nesting on shingle beaches along the Durham coast. Vulnerable to disturbance and declining.
May–Aug
Mandarin Duck
Aix galericulataLC
A rare but increasing breeder found on wooded rivers and lakes from spring through autumn. A striking exotic addition to the county.
Mar–Oct
Northern Gannet
Morus bassanusLC
Uncommon but regularly seen offshore from late spring through autumn. Plunge-diving birds are a spectacular sight from Durham's coastline.
May–Nov
Sand Martin
Riparia ripariaLC
An uncommon summer visitor breeding in sandy riverbanks along the Wear and Tees. Arrives from March, departing by September.
Mar–Sep
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensisLC
An uncommon breeder present from May to October. Plunge-dives for fish along the Durham coastline, often in noisy groups.
May–Oct
Sedge Warbler
Acrocephalus schoenobaenusLC
An uncommon summer breeder arriving in April, favouring reedbeds and waterside scrub along rivers and wetland margins.
Apr–Aug
Spotted Flycatcher
Muscicapa striataLC
A rare and declining summer visitor, breeding in open woodland and parkland. Sallies from exposed perches to catch insects from May to September.
May–Sep
Wheatear
Oenanthe oenantheLC
A rare breeder on Durham's upland moorland and fell walls, arriving in March and departing by September.
Mar–Sep
Whitethroat
Curruca communisLC
An uncommon summer breeder found in hedgerows, scrub and field margins. Its scratchy song carries across Durham's lowland farmland from April.
Apr–Sep
Willow Warbler
Phylloscopus trochilusLC
A common summer visitor breeding in woodland, scrub and moorland edges from April to September. Its gentle descending song is a hallmark of Durham's spring.
Apr–Sep
Yellow Wagtail
Motacilla flavaLC
A rare and declining summer breeder on Durham's lowland pastures and arable fields, present from April to August.
Apr–Aug
Non-breeding
(2)
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponicaNT
A rare non-breeding visitor to the Durham coast, mainly seen on passage at estuaries and rocky shores outside the summer months.
Jul–Mar
Red Knot
Calidris canutusNT
A rare non-breeding visitor to the Durham coast, occasionally seen in flocks on sandy beaches and estuarine mudflats outside the summer months.
Jul–Mar
Passage
(6)
Arctic Jaeger
Stercorarius parasiticusLC
A rare passage migrant seen offshore from Durham's coast in late summer and autumn, often harassing terns and gulls for food.
Jul–Oct
Arctic Tern
Sterna paradisaeaLC
A rare passage migrant from July to September, seen offshore during autumn seawatches. Breeds further north on the Farne Islands.
Jul–Sep
Greater Scaup
Aythya marilaLC
A rare visitor, with occasional records in summer. Most likely seen on coastal waters or larger inland reservoirs.
Jul
Long-eared Owl
Asio otusLC
A rare and secretive passage visitor, occasionally recorded in summer. Roosts in dense cover and is easily overlooked.
Jul
Manx Shearwater
Puffinus puffinusLC
Rare passage migrant seen offshore from July to October. Best spotted during seawatches at coastal headlands in easterly winds.
Jul–Oct
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopusLC
A rare passage migrant, mainly seen in spring and late summer on the Durham coast or inland wetlands. Listen for its distinctive rippling whistle.
Apr–Sep