Birds of Launceston
What has actually been seen around Launceston: 72 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 72 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 991 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Robin
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 135 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.5 h / 8 h
What the records say about Launceston
72 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Launceston (Cornwall) since 2010, across 991 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Robin, Woodpigeon and Blackbird.
Launceston is a garden-bird place: 82% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Robin, Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Chaffinch make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
6 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Tawny Owl and Barn Owl. 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 April and are lowest in October — about 27.2 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.
Lifton, 6 km to the east, has fewer species on record (64 against 72). Birds logged far more often around Launceston than there include Goldcrest.
Daylight runs from 16 h 29 min at midsummer to 7 h 58 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:25 in mid-April and 5:04 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Launceston
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 54 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 51 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 45 |
| 4 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 45 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 45 |
| 6 | Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus | 41 |
| 7 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 38 |
| 8 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 37 |
| 9 | SwiftApus apus | 35 |
| 10 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 35 |
| 11 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 33 |
| 12 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 32 |
| 13 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 31 |
| 14 | SiskinSpinus spinus | 27 |
| 15 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 26 |
| 16 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 25 |
| 17 | GoldcrestRegulus regulus | 23 |
| 18 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 23 |
| 19 | GreenfinchChloris chloris | 23 |
| 20 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 21 |
Records by month
What to put out in Launceston
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 Launceston?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Launceston are Robin, Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Chaffinch and Carrion Crow, based on 991 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Launceston?
72 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Launceston?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in October. Sunrise in late June is around 5:04.
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.