Birds of Lizard
What has actually been seen around Lizard: 263 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 263 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 49,377 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- European Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- September
- Elevation
- 71 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.4 h / 8.1 h
What the records say about Lizard
263 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Lizard (Cornwall) since 2010, across 49,377 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Jackdaw and Great Black-backed Gull.
Lizard 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. Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Eurasian Rock Pipit and Magpie make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
17 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Eurasian Sparrowhawk. 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 September and are lowest in February — about 4.9 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.
Ruan Minor, 3 km to the north-east, has more species on record (271 against 263).
Daylight runs from 16 h 22 min at midsummer to 8 h 5 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:29 in mid-April and 5:11 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Lizard
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 1,704 |
| 2 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,520 |
| 3 | Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus | 1,342 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,230 |
| 5 | European ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis | 1,219 |
| 6 | Northern GannetMorus bassanus | 1,195 |
| 7 | Eurasian Rock PipitAnthus petrosus | 1,154 |
| 8 | MagpiePica pica | 1,152 |
| 9 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 1,141 |
| 10 | European StonechatSaxicola rubicola | 1,117 |
| 11 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 1,073 |
| 12 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,061 |
| 13 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,035 |
| 14 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 1,034 |
| 15 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,028 |
| 16 | Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis | 1,020 |
| 17 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 970 |
| 18 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 966 |
| 19 | Red-billed ChoughPyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax | 959 |
| 20 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 940 |
Records by month
What to put out in Lizard
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- Wren
Mealworms · Suet pellets
- Dunnock
Sunflower hearts · Suet pellets · Crushed peanuts
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 Lizard?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Lizard are Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Eurasian Rock Pipit, Magpie and House Sparrow, based on 49,377 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Lizard?
263 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Lizard?
Observation records peak in September and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 5:11.
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.