Perch Supply
Dorset · 50.57°N

Birds of Portland

What has actually been seen around Portland: 247 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record
247 within 5 km
Observation records
37,172 since 2010
Most recorded bird
European Herring Gull
Busiest month
April
Elevation
11 m
Daylight, June / December
16.5 h / 8 h

What the records say about Portland

247 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Portland (Dorset) since 2010, across 37,172 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Carrion Crow and Great Black-backed Gull.

Water shapes this list. 46% of records near Portland are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — European Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull and Black-headed Gull lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Carrion Crow is still the most logged garden bird.

16 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel, 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 February — about 3.9 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.

Easton, 4 km to the south, has more species on record (275 against 247). Birds logged far more often around Portland than there include Dunlin, Common Ringed Plover, Mediterranean Gull and Red-breasted Merganser.

Daylight runs from 16 h 28 min at midsummer to 7 h 59 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:17 in mid-April and 4:56 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Portland

#BirdRecords
1European Herring GullLarus argentatus1,925
2Carrion CrowCorvus corone1,367
3Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus1,140
4Pied WagtailMotacilla alba1,084
5Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus1,036
6WoodpigeonColumba palumbus986
7Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus965
8Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo878
9StarlingSturnus vulgaris876
10DunlinCalidris alpina809
11Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula791
12Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus784
13GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis744
14House SparrowPasser domesticus723
15Common LinnetLinaria cannabina712
16BlackbirdTurdus merula698
17RobinErithacus rubecula691
18Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator686
19Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensis655
20Barn SwallowHirundo rustica625

Records by month

What to put out in Portland

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 Portland?

The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Portland are Carrion Crow, Pied Wagtail, Woodpigeon, Starling and Goldfinch, based on 37,172 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Portland?

247 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).

When is the best month for birds in Portland?

Observation records peak in April and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 4:56.

Sources

  1. GBIF occurrence search (birds, class Aves, 2010 onward)
  2. 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.