Birds of Cranfield
What has actually been seen around Cranfield: 152 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 152 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 8,843 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 112 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.7 h
What the records say about Cranfield
152 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Cranfield (Central Bedfordshire) since 2010, across 8,843 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Lesser Black-backed Gull and Robin.
Cranfield is a garden-bird place: 67% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Robin, Carrion Crow and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
12 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel.
Records peak in January and are lowest in November — about 3.5 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.
North Crawley, 4 km to the north-west, has fewer species on record (122 against 152). Birds logged far more often around Cranfield than there include Eurasian Coot, Great Crested Grebe, Common Pochard and Common Goldeneye.
Daylight runs from 16 h 45 min at midsummer to 7 h 44 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:07 in mid-April and 4:41 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Cranfield
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 522 |
| 2 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 432 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 419 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 350 |
| 5 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 340 |
| 6 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 330 |
| 7 | MagpiePica pica | 281 |
| 8 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 267 |
| 9 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 253 |
| 10 | Great TitParus major | 226 |
| 11 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 216 |
| 12 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 212 |
| 13 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 211 |
| 14 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 198 |
| 15 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 187 |
| 16 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 156 |
| 17 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 154 |
| 18 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 153 |
| 19 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 132 |
| 20 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 130 |
Records by month
What to put out in Cranfield
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Central Bedfordshire
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 Cranfield?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Cranfield are Woodpigeon, Robin, Carrion Crow, Blackbird and Blue Tit, based on 8,843 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Cranfield?
152 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Cranfield?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:41.
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.