Birds of Bournemouth
What has actually been seen around Bournemouth: 171 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 171 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 28,180 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 19 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.5 h / 8 h
What the records say about Bournemouth
171 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Bournemouth (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council) since 2010, across 28,180 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, European Herring Gull and Robin.
Bournemouth is a garden-bird place: 72% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Robin, Magpie and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Eurasian Sparrowhawk, 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 May and are lowest in September — about 2.5 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.
Parkstone, 5 km to the west, has more species on record (237 against 171). Birds logged far more often around Bournemouth than there include Swift and Northern Gannet.
Daylight runs from 16 h 30 min at midsummer to 7 h 58 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:15 in mid-April and 4:53 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Bournemouth
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,811 |
| 2 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 1,496 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,315 |
| 4 | MagpiePica pica | 1,306 |
| 5 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,198 |
| 6 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,153 |
| 7 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,130 |
| 8 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 1,093 |
| 9 | SwiftApus apus | 1,073 |
| 10 | Great TitParus major | 1,036 |
| 11 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 764 |
| 12 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 711 |
| 13 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 677 |
| 14 | JayGarrulus glandarius | 662 |
| 15 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 611 |
| 16 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 601 |
| 17 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 598 |
| 18 | GreenfinchChloris chloris | 557 |
| 19 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 547 |
| 20 | BlackcapSylvia atricapilla | 463 |
Records by month
What to put out in Bournemouth
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council
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 Bournemouth?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Bournemouth are Woodpigeon, Robin, Magpie, Blackbird and Blue Tit, based on 28,180 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Bournemouth?
171 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Bournemouth?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in September. Sunrise in late June is around 4:53.
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.