Birds of Cambridge
What has actually been seen around Cambridge: 211 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 211 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 215,173 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 12 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.8 h / 7.7 h
What the records say about Cambridge
211 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Cambridge (Cambridgeshire) since 2010, across 215,173 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Robin and Magpie.
Cambridge is a garden-bird place: 74% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Robin, Magpie and Carrion Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
16 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel, Common Buzzard and Eurasian Sparrowhawk. 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 August — about 2.7 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.
Coton, 4 km to the west, has fewer species on record (194 against 211).
Daylight runs from 16 h 46 min at midsummer to 7 h 43 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:04 in mid-April and 4:37 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Cambridge
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 13,831 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 10,322 |
| 3 | MagpiePica pica | 9,430 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 9,233 |
| 5 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 9,153 |
| 6 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 8,797 |
| 7 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 7,675 |
| 8 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 7,531 |
| 9 | Great TitParus major | 7,061 |
| 10 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 6,918 |
| 11 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 6,410 |
| 12 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 6,308 |
| 13 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 5,691 |
| 14 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 5,427 |
| 15 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 4,743 |
| 16 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 4,676 |
| 17 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 3,820 |
| 18 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 3,741 |
| 19 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 3,727 |
| 20 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 3,582 |
Records by month
What to put out in Cambridge
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Cambridgeshire
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 Cambridge?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Cambridge are Woodpigeon, Robin, Magpie, Carrion Crow and Blackbird, based on 215,173 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Cambridge?
211 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Cambridge?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in August. Sunrise in late June is around 4:37.
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.