Birds of Blandford Forum
What has actually been seen around Blandford Forum: 139 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 139 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 3,004 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 52 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.5 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Blandford Forum
139 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Blandford Forum (Dorset) since 2010, across 3,004 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Robin.
Blandford Forum 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. Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin and Carrion Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
14 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Red Kite. 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 May and are lowest in December — about 5.1 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.
Charlton Marshall, 3 km to the south-east, has more species on record (149 against 139).
Daylight runs from 16 h 31 min at midsummer to 7 h 56 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:16 in mid-April and 4:54 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Blandford Forum
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 158 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 122 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 113 |
| 4 | SwiftApus apus | 111 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 97 |
| 6 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 92 |
| 7 | Great TitParus major | 92 |
| 8 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 91 |
| 9 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 80 |
| 10 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 71 |
| 11 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 68 |
| 12 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 67 |
| 13 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 66 |
| 14 | MagpiePica pica | 64 |
| 15 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 60 |
| 16 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 59 |
| 17 | BlackcapSylvia atricapilla | 57 |
| 18 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 57 |
| 19 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 54 |
| 20 | Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis | 52 |
Records by month
What to put out in Blandford Forum
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Dorset
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 Blandford Forum?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Blandford Forum are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin, Carrion Crow and Wren, based on 3,004 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Blandford Forum?
139 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Blandford Forum?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:54.
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.