Birds of Soham
What has actually been seen around Soham: 206 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 206 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 58,678 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 10 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.8 h / 7.7 h
What the records say about Soham
206 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Soham (Cambridgeshire) since 2010, across 58,678 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Robin.
The records split between garden birds (53%) and waterbirds (37%), so a feeder in Soham sees the familiar Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Robin, while Mallard and others turn up on nearby water.
18 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Eurasian Marsh-Harrier, Common Kestrel and Common Buzzard.
Records peak in May and are lowest in November — about 4.0 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.
Wicken, 4 km to the south-west, has more species on record (216 against 206).
Daylight runs from 16 h 48 min at midsummer to 7 h 41 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 Soham
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,687 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,480 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,367 |
| 4 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 1,339 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,304 |
| 6 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,299 |
| 7 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,296 |
| 8 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,244 |
| 9 | MagpiePica pica | 1,191 |
| 10 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 1,172 |
| 11 | Great TitParus major | 1,118 |
| 12 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 1,073 |
| 13 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,044 |
| 14 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 1,031 |
| 15 | Graylag GooseAnser anser | 1,025 |
| 16 | Eurasian Marsh-HarrierCircus aeruginosus | 986 |
| 17 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 961 |
| 18 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 956 |
| 19 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 943 |
| 20 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 919 |
Records by month
What to put out in Soham
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 Soham?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Soham are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin, Blue Tit and Goldfinch, based on 58,678 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Soham?
206 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Soham?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in November. 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.