Birds of Melbourn
What has actually been seen around Melbourn: 183 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 183 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 62,654 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 27 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.8 h / 7.7 h
What the records say about Melbourn
183 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Melbourn (Cambridgeshire) since 2010, across 62,654 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow and Robin.
Melbourn is a garden-bird place: 69% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Robin and Blue Tit make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
17 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Barn Owl.
Records peak in May and are lowest in November — about 2.8 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.
Shepreth, 4 km to the north, has more species on record (188 against 183).
Daylight runs from 16 h 45 min at midsummer to 7 h 44 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:05 in mid-April and 4:38 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Melbourn
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 2,253 |
| 2 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,909 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,901 |
| 4 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,876 |
| 5 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,843 |
| 6 | MagpiePica pica | 1,787 |
| 7 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,686 |
| 8 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,631 |
| 9 | Great TitParus major | 1,608 |
| 10 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 1,592 |
| 11 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 1,521 |
| 12 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 1,497 |
| 13 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 1,403 |
| 14 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 1,267 |
| 15 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 1,207 |
| 16 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,194 |
| 17 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 1,185 |
| 18 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 1,169 |
| 19 | Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus | 1,104 |
| 20 | Graylag GooseAnser anser | 985 |
Records by month
What to put out in Melbourn
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 Melbourn?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Melbourn are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Robin, Blue Tit and Blackbird, based on 62,654 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Melbourn?
183 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Melbourn?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:38.
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.