Birds of Parson Drove
What has actually been seen around Parson Drove: 148 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 148 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 1,390 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Corn Crake
- Busiest month
- February
- Elevation
- 5 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.9 h / 7.6 h
What the records say about Parson Drove
148 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Parson Drove (Cambridgeshire) since 2010, across 1,390 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Corn Crake, Whooper Swan and Common Kestrel.
Water shapes this list. 44% of records near Parson Drove are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Corn Crake, Whooper Swan and Northern Lapwing lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Blackbird is still the most logged garden bird.
14 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel, Common Buzzard and Eurasian Marsh-Harrier. 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 February and are lowest in September — about 8.0 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.
Gedney Hill, 4 km to the north-west, has fewer species on record (83 against 148). Birds logged far more often around Parson Drove than there include Corn Crake and Barn Swallow.
Daylight runs from 16 h 52 min at midsummer to 7 h 38 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 Parson Drove
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Corn CrakeCrex crex | 79 |
| 2 | Whooper SwanCygnus cygnus | 51 |
| 3 | Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus | 32 |
| 4 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 29 |
| 5 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 28 |
| 6 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 24 |
| 7 | Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchus | 24 |
| 8 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 23 |
| 9 | FieldfareTurdus pilaris | 22 |
| 10 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 22 |
| 11 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 22 |
| 12 | Eurasian Marsh-HarrierCircus aeruginosus | 21 |
| 13 | Little EgretEgretta garzetta | 21 |
| 14 | Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus | 21 |
| 15 | Tundra SwanCygnus columbianus | 21 |
| 16 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 20 |
| 17 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 20 |
| 18 | Barn OwlTyto alba | 19 |
| 19 | MagpiePica pica | 19 |
| 20 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 19 |
Records by month
What to put out in Parson Drove
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 Parson Drove?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Parson Drove are Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Fieldfare, Chaffinch and Goldfinch, based on 1,390 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Parson Drove?
148 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Parson Drove?
Observation records peak in February and are lowest in September. 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.