Birds of Ambleside
What has actually been seen around Ambleside: 178 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 178 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 43,303 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Jackdaw
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 68 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.2 h / 7.3 h
What the records say about Ambleside
178 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Ambleside (Cumbria) since 2010, across 43,303 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Jackdaw, Robin and Blackbird.
Ambleside is a garden-bird place: 75% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Jackdaw, Robin, Blackbird and Woodpigeon make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
15 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard and Tawny Owl.
Records peak in May and are lowest in August — about 3.6 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.
Windermere, 7 km to the south-east, has fewer species on record (138 against 178). Birds logged far more often around Ambleside than there include Tawny Owl, White-throated Dipper, Common Reed Bunting and Common Snipe.
Daylight runs from 17 h 15 min at midsummer to 7 h 17 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:12 in mid-April and 4:35 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Ambleside
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 2,215 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 2,070 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,760 |
| 4 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,679 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,656 |
| 6 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,536 |
| 7 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 1,458 |
| 8 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 1,397 |
| 9 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,354 |
| 10 | Great TitParus major | 1,272 |
| 11 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 937 |
| 12 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 932 |
| 13 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 919 |
| 14 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 884 |
| 15 | MagpiePica pica | 822 |
| 16 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 749 |
| 17 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 734 |
| 18 | NuthatchSitta europaea | 730 |
| 19 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 729 |
| 20 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 717 |
Records by month
What to put out in Ambleside
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Cumbria
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 Ambleside?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Ambleside are Jackdaw, Robin, Blackbird, Woodpigeon and Carrion Crow, based on 43,303 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Ambleside?
178 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Ambleside?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in August. Sunrise in late June is around 4:35.
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.