Birds of Cerne Abbas
What has actually been seen around Cerne Abbas: 78 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 78 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 881 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Swift
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 121 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.5 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Cerne Abbas
78 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Cerne Abbas (Dorset) since 2010, across 881 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Swift, Common Buzzard and Woodpigeon.
Cerne Abbas is a garden-bird place: 77% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin and Yellowhammer make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
8 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Red Kite and Common Kestrel. 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.
Maiden Newton, 8 km to the south-west, has more species on record (117 against 78). Birds logged far more often around Cerne Abbas than there include Yellowhammer.
Daylight runs from 16 h 31 min at midsummer to 7 h 57 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 Cerne Abbas
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SwiftApus apus | 47 |
| 2 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 35 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 35 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 34 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 34 |
| 6 | YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella | 33 |
| 7 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 31 |
| 8 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 29 |
| 9 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 28 |
| 10 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 27 |
| 11 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 27 |
| 12 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 24 |
| 13 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 23 |
| 14 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 22 |
| 15 | Great TitParus major | 22 |
| 16 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 21 |
| 17 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 21 |
| 18 | Common RavenCorvus corax | 19 |
| 19 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 18 |
| 20 | BlackcapSylvia atricapilla | 17 |
Records by month
What to put out in Cerne Abbas
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 Cerne Abbas?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Cerne Abbas are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin, Yellowhammer and Wren, based on 881 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Cerne Abbas?
78 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Cerne Abbas?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in November. 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.