Birds of Elton
What has actually been seen around Elton: 137 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 137 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 3,636 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Red Kite
- Busiest month
- December
- Elevation
- 32 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.8 h / 7.7 h
What the records say about Elton
137 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Elton (Cambridgeshire) since 2010, across 3,636 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Red Kite, Woodpigeon and Carrion Crow.
Elton is a garden-bird place: 68% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Blackbird and Jackdaw make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
13 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 December and are lowest in September — about 5.6 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.
Nassington, 4 km to the north-west, has fewer species on record (128 against 137). Birds logged far more often around Elton than there include European Golden Plover.
Daylight runs from 16 h 50 min at midsummer to 7 h 39 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:05 in mid-April and 4:37 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Elton
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 193 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 170 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 139 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 128 |
| 5 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 104 |
| 6 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 103 |
| 7 | MagpiePica pica | 102 |
| 8 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 98 |
| 9 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 97 |
| 10 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 93 |
| 11 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 89 |
| 12 | Great TitParus major | 84 |
| 13 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 81 |
| 14 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 79 |
| 15 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 73 |
| 16 | Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensis | 69 |
| 17 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 68 |
| 18 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 60 |
| 19 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 56 |
| 20 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 56 |
Records by month
What to put out in Elton
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 Elton?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Elton are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Blackbird, Jackdaw and Robin, based on 3,636 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Elton?
137 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Elton?
Observation records peak in December and are lowest in September. 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.