Birds of Ferndown
What has actually been seen around Ferndown: 190 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 190 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 58,656 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 23 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.5 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Ferndown
190 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Ferndown (Dorset) since 2010, across 58,656 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Robin and Blackbird.
Ferndown 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. Woodpigeon, Robin, Blackbird and Carrion Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
12 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel.
Records peak in April and are lowest in July — about 2.7 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.
St Leonards, 5 km to the north-east, has fewer species on record (142 against 190). Birds logged far more often around Ferndown than there include Great Crested Grebe and Common Pochard.
Daylight runs from 16 h 31 min at midsummer to 7 h 57 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:15 in mid-April and 4:53 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Ferndown
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 2,345 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 2,117 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 2,013 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,796 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 1,749 |
| 6 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 1,442 |
| 7 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,434 |
| 8 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 1,388 |
| 9 | Great TitParus major | 1,352 |
| 10 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 1,266 |
| 11 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 1,191 |
| 12 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,168 |
| 13 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 1,154 |
| 14 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 1,152 |
| 15 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 1,144 |
| 16 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 1,103 |
| 17 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,075 |
| 18 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 1,014 |
| 19 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 1,011 |
| 20 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 1,007 |
Records by month
What to put out in Ferndown
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 Ferndown?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Ferndown are Woodpigeon, Robin, Blackbird, Carrion Crow and Magpie, based on 58,656 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Ferndown?
190 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Ferndown?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in July. Sunrise in late June is around 4:53.
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.