Birds of Shefford
What has actually been seen around Shefford: 170 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 170 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 19,275 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Busiest month
- October
- Elevation
- 40 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.7 h
What the records say about Shefford
170 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Shefford (Central Bedfordshire) since 2010, across 19,275 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon and Carrion Crow.
Shefford is a garden-bird place: 65% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw and Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
14 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel. 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 October and are lowest in February — about 2.9 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.
Henlow, 3 km to the east, has a similar number of species on record (169 against 170).
Daylight runs from 16 h 45 min at midsummer to 7 h 44 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:06 in mid-April and 4:40 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Shefford
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 768 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 762 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 656 |
| 4 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 604 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 603 |
| 6 | MagpiePica pica | 588 |
| 7 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 577 |
| 8 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 536 |
| 9 | Great TitParus major | 473 |
| 10 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 461 |
| 11 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 459 |
| 12 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 458 |
| 13 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 443 |
| 14 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 421 |
| 15 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 411 |
| 16 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 355 |
| 17 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 352 |
| 18 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 340 |
| 19 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 337 |
| 20 | Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensis | 321 |
Records by month
What to put out in Shefford
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 Shefford?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Shefford are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Robin and Magpie, based on 19,275 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Shefford?
170 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Shefford?
Observation records peak in October and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 4:40.
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.