Birds of Ely
What has actually been seen around Ely: 189 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 189 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 38,094 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 21 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.8 h / 7.7 h
What the records say about Ely
189 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Ely (Cambridgeshire) since 2010, across 38,094 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Robin.
Ely is a garden-bird place: 63% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin and Jackdaw make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
17 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel, Eurasian Marsh-Harrier and Common Buzzard. 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 December — about 1.8 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.
Witchford, 4 km to the west, has fewer species on record (180 against 189). Birds logged far more often around Ely than there include Tufted Duck, Eurasian Marsh-Harrier, Northern Shoveler and Cetti's Warbler.
Daylight runs from 16 h 49 min at midsummer to 7 h 40 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:03 in mid-April and 4:35 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Ely
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 2,039 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,618 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,463 |
| 4 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 1,419 |
| 5 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,396 |
| 6 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 1,283 |
| 7 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,205 |
| 8 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,199 |
| 9 | Great TitParus major | 1,107 |
| 10 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 1,075 |
| 11 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 1,055 |
| 12 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 1,050 |
| 13 | MagpiePica pica | 1,038 |
| 14 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,009 |
| 15 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 988 |
| 16 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 897 |
| 17 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 789 |
| 18 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 726 |
| 19 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 713 |
| 20 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 700 |
Records by month
What to put out in Ely
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
- Collared Dove
Seed mix
- Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
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 Ely?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Ely are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin, Jackdaw and Collared Dove, based on 38,094 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Ely?
189 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Ely?
Observation records peak in May 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.