Birds of Great Barford
What has actually been seen around Great Barford: 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
- 8,346 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Busiest month
- March
- Elevation
- 25 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.8 h / 7.7 h
What the records say about Great Barford
149 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Great Barford (Bedford) since 2010, across 8,346 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon and Carrion Crow.
Water shapes this list. 40% of records near Great Barford 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.
10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel.
Records peak in March and are lowest in November — about 5.2 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.
Tempsford, 4 km to the east, has more species on record (161 against 149). Birds logged far more often around Great Barford than there include Great Crested Grebe and Eurasian Wigeon.
Daylight runs from 16 h 46 min at midsummer to 7 h 43 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:06 in mid-April and 4:39 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Great Barford
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 597 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 261 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 242 |
| 4 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 213 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 209 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 204 |
| 7 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 193 |
| 8 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 186 |
| 9 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 181 |
| 10 | MagpiePica pica | 178 |
| 11 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 175 |
| 12 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 174 |
| 13 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 168 |
| 14 | Tufted DuckAythya fuligula | 158 |
| 15 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 157 |
| 16 | Graylag GooseAnser anser | 153 |
| 17 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 147 |
| 18 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 141 |
| 19 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 140 |
| 20 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 140 |
Records by month
What to put out in Great Barford
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Bedford
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 Great Barford?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Great Barford are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Robin, Blackbird and Blue Tit, based on 8,346 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Great Barford?
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 Great Barford?
Observation records peak in March and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:39.
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.