Birds of Chippenham
What has actually been seen around Chippenham: 130 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 130 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 11,453 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Busiest month
- October
- Elevation
- 20 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.8 h / 7.7 h
What the records say about Chippenham
130 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Chippenham (Cambridgeshire) since 2010, across 11,453 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon and Blackbird.
Water shapes this list. 55% of records near Chippenham are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Lesser Black-backed Gull, Mallard and Eurasian Woodcock lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.
13 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Red Kite. 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 December — about 14.4 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.
Fordham, 3 km to the west, has more species on record (148 against 130).
Daylight runs from 16 h 48 min at midsummer to 7 h 41 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:02 in mid-April and 4:35 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Chippenham
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 5,653 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 266 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 254 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 232 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 215 |
| 6 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 211 |
| 7 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 196 |
| 8 | Great TitParus major | 177 |
| 9 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 166 |
| 10 | SwiftApus apus | 153 |
| 11 | MagpiePica pica | 153 |
| 12 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 149 |
| 13 | BlackcapSylvia atricapilla | 144 |
| 14 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 137 |
| 15 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 129 |
| 16 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 123 |
| 17 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 113 |
| 18 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 112 |
| 19 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 110 |
| 20 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 103 |
Records by month
What to put out in Chippenham
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 Chippenham?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Chippenham are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin, Blue Tit and Jackdaw, based on 11,453 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Chippenham?
130 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Chippenham?
Observation records peak in October and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:35.
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.