Birds of Boscastle
What has actually been seen around Boscastle: 133 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 133 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 37,793 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- European Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- July
- Elevation
- 88 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.5 h / 8 h
What the records say about Boscastle
133 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Boscastle (Cornwall) since 2010, across 37,793 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Jackdaw and Carrion Crow.
Boscastle is a garden-bird place: 72% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon and Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Peregrine Falcon.
Records peak in July and are lowest in November — about 1.9 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.
Trebarwith, 6 km to the south-west, has fewer species on record (126 against 133). Birds logged far more often around Boscastle than there include Mallard.
Daylight runs from 16 h 30 min at midsummer to 7 h 58 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:26 in mid-April and 5:05 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Boscastle
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 1,610 |
| 2 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,562 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,448 |
| 4 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,412 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,344 |
| 6 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 1,315 |
| 7 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,301 |
| 8 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 1,272 |
| 9 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,271 |
| 10 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 1,249 |
| 11 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 1,244 |
| 12 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,241 |
| 13 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,211 |
| 14 | MagpiePica pica | 1,144 |
| 15 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 1,103 |
| 16 | European ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis | 1,034 |
| 17 | Great TitParus major | 1,021 |
| 18 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 940 |
| 19 | Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus | 920 |
| 20 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 915 |
Records by month
What to put out in Boscastle
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- Chaffinch
Sunflower hearts · Seed mix
- Wren
Mealworms · Suet pellets
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
Seasonal bird notes for Cornwall
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 Boscastle?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Boscastle are Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Robin and Chaffinch, based on 37,793 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Boscastle?
133 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Boscastle?
Observation records peak in July and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 5:05.
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.