Birds of Stourpaine
What has actually been seen around Stourpaine: 141 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 141 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 3,641 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 49 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.5 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Stourpaine
141 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Stourpaine (Dorset) since 2010, across 3,641 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Robin.
Stourpaine is a garden-bird place: 75% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin and Blue Tit 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 January and are lowest in September — about 3.2 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.
Shillingstone, 4 km to the west, has fewer species on record (102 against 141). Birds logged far more often around Stourpaine than there include Swift, Mute Swan, Common Kingfisher and Grey Wagtail.
Daylight runs from 16 h 32 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 Stourpaine
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 184 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 146 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 134 |
| 4 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 118 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 116 |
| 6 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 113 |
| 7 | SwiftApus apus | 112 |
| 8 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 100 |
| 9 | Great TitParus major | 98 |
| 10 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 90 |
| 11 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 90 |
| 12 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 90 |
| 13 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 80 |
| 14 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 76 |
| 15 | MagpiePica pica | 67 |
| 16 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 63 |
| 17 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 62 |
| 18 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 59 |
| 19 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 58 |
| 20 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 57 |
Records by month
What to put out in Stourpaine
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 Stourpaine?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Stourpaine are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin, Blue Tit and Carrion Crow, based on 3,641 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Stourpaine?
141 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Stourpaine?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in September. 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.