Birds of Sturminster Newton
What has actually been seen around Sturminster Newton: 96 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 96 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 1,334 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- June
- Elevation
- 62 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.5 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Sturminster Newton
96 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Sturminster Newton (Dorset) since 2010, across 1,334 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Robin and Carrion Crow.
Sturminster Newton is a garden-bird place: 74% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Robin, Carrion Crow and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
7 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Tawny Owl. 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 June and are lowest in September — about 119.5 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.
Manston, 4 km to the north-east, has a similar number of species on record (98 against 96).
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 Sturminster Newton
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 72 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 56 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 55 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 54 |
| 5 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 51 |
| 6 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 49 |
| 7 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 46 |
| 8 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 45 |
| 9 | Great TitParus major | 41 |
| 10 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 35 |
| 11 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 33 |
| 12 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 30 |
| 13 | SwiftApus apus | 30 |
| 14 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 30 |
| 15 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 29 |
| 16 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 29 |
| 17 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 27 |
| 18 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 27 |
| 19 | MagpiePica pica | 26 |
| 20 | Little EgretEgretta garzetta | 24 |
Records by month
What to put out in Sturminster Newton
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 Sturminster Newton?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Sturminster Newton are Woodpigeon, Robin, Carrion Crow, Blackbird and Wren, based on 1,334 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Sturminster Newton?
96 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Sturminster Newton?
Observation records peak in June 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.