Birds of Bradford Abbas
What has actually been seen around Bradford Abbas: 138 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 138 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 7,967 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 42 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.5 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Bradford Abbas
138 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Bradford Abbas (Dorset) since 2010, across 7,967 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow and Robin.
Bradford Abbas is a garden-bird place: 70% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Robin and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard 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 April and are lowest in September — about 6.0 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.
Yetminster, 4 km to the south, has fewer species on record (130 against 138). Birds logged far more often around Bradford Abbas than there include Mandarin Duck, Little Grebe, Common Kingfisher and Cetti's Warbler.
Daylight runs from 16 h 32 min at midsummer to 7 h 56 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:17 in mid-April and 4:55 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Bradford Abbas
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 364 |
| 2 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 353 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 337 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 332 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 300 |
| 6 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 284 |
| 7 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 283 |
| 8 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 278 |
| 9 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 273 |
| 10 | Great TitParus major | 270 |
| 11 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 252 |
| 12 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 234 |
| 13 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 218 |
| 14 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 165 |
| 15 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 164 |
| 16 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 156 |
| 17 | Mandarin DuckAix galericulata | 155 |
| 18 | SwiftApus apus | 152 |
| 19 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 143 |
| 20 | GoldcrestRegulus regulus | 133 |
Records by month
What to put out in Bradford Abbas
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 Bradford Abbas?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Bradford Abbas are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Robin, Blackbird and Magpie, based on 7,967 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Bradford Abbas?
138 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Bradford Abbas?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in September. Sunrise in late June is around 4:55.
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.