Birds of Wicken
What has actually been seen around Wicken: 216 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 216 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 131,479 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 11 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.8 h / 7.7 h
What the records say about Wicken
216 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Wicken (Cambridgeshire) since 2010, across 131,479 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Mallard and Carrion Crow.
Water shapes this list. 40% of records near Wicken are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Mallard, Black-headed Gull and Graylag Goose lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.
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 3.2 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.
Soham, 4 km to the north-east, has fewer species on record (206 against 216).
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 4:36 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Wicken
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 3,470 |
| 2 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 3,263 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 3,179 |
| 4 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 2,818 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 2,797 |
| 6 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 2,719 |
| 7 | Graylag GooseAnser anser | 2,633 |
| 8 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 2,599 |
| 9 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 2,557 |
| 10 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 2,520 |
| 11 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 2,503 |
| 12 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 2,441 |
| 13 | Eurasian Marsh-HarrierCircus aeruginosus | 2,390 |
| 14 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 2,374 |
| 15 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 2,351 |
| 16 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 2,323 |
| 17 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 2,304 |
| 18 | Little EgretEgretta garzetta | 2,292 |
| 19 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 2,242 |
| 20 | Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus | 2,199 |
Records by month
What to put out in Wicken
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 Wicken?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Wicken are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Goldfinch, Magpie and Wren, based on 131,479 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Wicken?
216 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Wicken?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:36.
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.