Dorset · 50.61°N

Birds of Swanage

What has actually been seen around Swanage: 200 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 200 within 5 km
Observation records: 29,628 since 2010
Most recorded bird: European Herring Gull
Busiest month: May
Elevation: 5 m
Daylight, June / December: 16.5 h / 8 h

What the records say about Swanage

200 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Swanage (Dorset) since 2010, across 29,628 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Carrion Crow and Woodpigeon.

Swanage is a garden-bird place: 67% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Robin and Jackdaw make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

15 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel, Common Buzzard and Peregrine Falcon. 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 May and are lowest in February — about 4.4 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.

Corfe Castle, 8 km to the north-west, has a similar number of species on record (200 against 200). Birds logged far more often around Swanage than there include Great Black-backed Gull, European Shag, Rock Pigeon and Common Murre.

Daylight runs from 16 h 29 min at midsummer to 7 h 59 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:15 in mid-April and 4:54 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Swanage

#	Bird	Records
1	European Herring GullLarus argentatus	1,303
2	Carrion CrowCorvus corone	1,045
3	WoodpigeonColumba palumbus	1,020
4	RobinErithacus rubecula	956
5	JackdawColoeus monedula	914
6	BlackbirdTurdus merula	887
7	House SparrowPasser domesticus	751
8	GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis	716
9	Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus	659
10	MagpiePica pica	653
11	European ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis	636
12	Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus	632
13	WrenTroglodytes troglodytes	622
14	ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita	610
15	DunnockPrunella modularis	610
16	Rock PigeonColumba livia	589
17	Great TitParus major	571
18	Common MurreUria aalge	564
19	Eurasian Rock PipitAnthus petrosus	525
20	Barn SwallowHirundo rustica	519

Records by month

What to put out in Swanage

Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.

Woodpigeon
Seed mix
Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
Goldfinch
Nyjer seed · Sunflower hearts

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 Swanage?

The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Swanage are Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Robin, Jackdaw and Blackbird, based on 29,628 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Swanage?

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

When is the best month for birds in Swanage?

Observation records peak in May and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 4:54.

Sources

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.