Birds of Dunstable
What has actually been seen around Dunstable: 142 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 142 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 16,606 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Busiest month
- August
- Elevation
- 150 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Dunstable
142 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Dunstable (Central Bedfordshire) since 2010, across 16,606 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon and Magpie.
The records split between garden birds (57%) and waterbirds (34%), so a feeder in Dunstable sees the familiar Woodpigeon, Magpie and Carrion Crow, while Lesser Black-backed Gull and others turn up on nearby water.
9 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Common Kestrel and Common Buzzard. 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 August and are lowest in November — about 4.2 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.
Kensworth, 4 km to the south, has fewer species on record (131 against 142). Birds logged far more often around Dunstable than there include Mute Swan.
Daylight runs from 16 h 43 min at midsummer to 7 h 46 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 Dunstable
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 3,556 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 700 |
| 3 | MagpiePica pica | 681 |
| 4 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 616 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 548 |
| 6 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 509 |
| 7 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 505 |
| 8 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 486 |
| 9 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 447 |
| 10 | Great TitParus major | 381 |
| 11 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 370 |
| 12 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 337 |
| 13 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 324 |
| 14 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 316 |
| 15 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 278 |
| 16 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 268 |
| 17 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 266 |
| 18 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 258 |
| 19 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 243 |
| 20 | Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus | 239 |
Records by month
What to put out in Dunstable
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 Dunstable?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Dunstable are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Robin and Blackbird, based on 16,606 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Dunstable?
142 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Dunstable?
Observation records peak in August 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.