Birds of Orwell
What has actually been seen around Orwell: 165 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 165 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 30,997 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 38 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.8 h / 7.7 h
What the records say about Orwell
165 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Orwell (Cambridgeshire) since 2010, across 30,997 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow and Blackbird.
Orwell is a garden-bird place: 70% 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 Blue Tit make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
16 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Red Kite.
Records peak in April and are lowest in July — about 3.8 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 south-east, has more species on record (188 against 165). Birds logged far more often around Orwell than there include Mandarin Duck, Great Cormorant and Nuthatch.
Daylight runs from 16 h 46 min at midsummer to 7 h 43 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 Orwell
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,056 |
| 2 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 996 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 969 |
| 4 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 930 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 930 |
| 6 | MagpiePica pica | 905 |
| 7 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 896 |
| 8 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 877 |
| 9 | Great TitParus major | 790 |
| 10 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 778 |
| 11 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 756 |
| 12 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 735 |
| 13 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 703 |
| 14 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 696 |
| 15 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 695 |
| 16 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 679 |
| 17 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 646 |
| 18 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 640 |
| 19 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 638 |
| 20 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 624 |
Records by month
What to put out in Orwell
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 Orwell?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Orwell are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Blackbird, Blue Tit and Robin, based on 30,997 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Orwell?
165 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Orwell?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in July. 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.