Birds of Thurleigh
What has actually been seen around Thurleigh: 105 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 105 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 963 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Busiest month
- October
- Elevation
- 73 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.8 h / 7.7 h
What the records say about Thurleigh
105 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Thurleigh (Bedford) since 2010, across 963 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Lesser Black-backed Gull, Carrion Crow and Woodpigeon.
Thurleigh is a garden-bird place: 67% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Robin and Magpie make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
11 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 October and are lowest in June — about 19.0 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.
Milton Ernest, 4 km to the south-west, has more species on record (117 against 105).
Daylight runs from 16 h 47 min at midsummer to 7 h 42 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 Thurleigh
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 70 |
| 2 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 52 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 48 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 42 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 38 |
| 6 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 30 |
| 7 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 28 |
| 8 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 25 |
| 9 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 24 |
| 10 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 23 |
| 11 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 21 |
| 12 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 21 |
| 13 | Great TitParus major | 20 |
| 14 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 19 |
| 15 | Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensis | 19 |
| 16 | Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus | 19 |
| 17 | SwiftApus apus | 18 |
| 18 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 18 |
| 19 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 16 |
| 20 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 16 |
Records by month
What to put out in Thurleigh
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 Thurleigh?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Thurleigh are Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Robin, Magpie and Jackdaw, based on 963 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Thurleigh?
105 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Thurleigh?
Observation records peak in October and are lowest in June. 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.