Birds of Brightlingsea
What has actually been seen around Brightlingsea: 223 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 223 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 105,633 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 10 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Brightlingsea
223 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Brightlingsea (Essex) since 2010, across 105,633 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Black-headed Gull and Carrion Crow.
Water shapes this list. 44% of records near Brightlingsea are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Black-headed Gull, Mallard and European Herring Gull lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.
19 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Eurasian Marsh-Harrier, Common Kestrel and Common Buzzard.
Records peak in May and are lowest in December — about 2.0 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.
Saint Osyth, 4 km to the east, has fewer species on record (200 against 223). Birds logged far more often around Brightlingsea than there include Long-tailed Tit.
Daylight runs from 16 h 42 min at midsummer to 7 h 47 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:01 in mid-April and 4:36 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Brightlingsea
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 2,645 |
| 2 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 2,468 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 2,426 |
| 4 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 2,411 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 2,328 |
| 6 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 2,226 |
| 7 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 2,178 |
| 8 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 2,142 |
| 9 | Little EgretEgretta garzetta | 2,101 |
| 10 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 2,089 |
| 11 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 2,080 |
| 12 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,993 |
| 13 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 1,990 |
| 14 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 1,957 |
| 15 | Great TitParus major | 1,913 |
| 16 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 1,867 |
| 17 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 1,823 |
| 18 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 1,767 |
| 19 | Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna | 1,735 |
| 20 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 1,701 |
Records by month
What to put out in Brightlingsea
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Essex
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 Brightlingsea?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Brightlingsea are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Blue Tit and Starling, based on 105,633 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Brightlingsea?
223 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Brightlingsea?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:36.
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.