Birds of South Cave
What has actually been seen around South Cave: 224 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 224 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 79,847 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Graylag Goose
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 32 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.1 h / 7.4 h
What the records say about South Cave
224 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of South Cave (East Riding of Yorkshire) since 2010, across 79,847 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Graylag Goose, Mallard and Mute Swan.
Water shapes this list. 54% of records near South Cave are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Graylag Goose, Mallard and Mute Swan lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.
18 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Red Kite.
Records peak in May and are lowest in December — about 2.5 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.
North Cave, 3 km to the west, has a similar number of species on record (223 against 224).
Daylight runs from 17 h 6 min at midsummer to 7 h 25 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:04 in mid-April and 4:30 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near South Cave
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graylag GooseAnser anser | 1,657 |
| 2 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 1,623 |
| 3 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 1,604 |
| 4 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 1,588 |
| 5 | Tufted DuckAythya fuligula | 1,584 |
| 6 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 1,578 |
| 7 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 1,482 |
| 8 | Little EgretEgretta garzetta | 1,470 |
| 9 | Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis | 1,451 |
| 10 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 1,440 |
| 11 | GadwallMareca strepera | 1,420 |
| 12 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,367 |
| 13 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,347 |
| 14 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 1,283 |
| 15 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,268 |
| 16 | Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope | 1,223 |
| 17 | Eurasian TealAnas crecca | 1,221 |
| 18 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 1,206 |
| 19 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,202 |
| 20 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,202 |
Records by month
What to put out in South Cave
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for East Riding of Yorkshire
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 South Cave?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of South Cave are Woodpigeon, Robin, Carrion Crow, Blackbird and Goldfinch, based on 79,847 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near South Cave?
224 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in South Cave?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:30.
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.