Birds of Great Dunmow
What has actually been seen around Great Dunmow: 93 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 93 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 1,255 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Swift
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 74 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Great Dunmow
93 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Great Dunmow (Essex) since 2010, across 1,255 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Swift, Woodpigeon and Blue Tit.
Great Dunmow 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, Blue Tit, Blackbird and Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Red Kite and Common Kestrel. 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 October — about 318.0 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.
Little Dunmow, 4 km to the east, has more species on record (100 against 93).
Daylight runs from 16 h 43 min at midsummer to 7 h 46 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:04 in mid-April and 4:38 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Great Dunmow
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SwiftApus apus | 78 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 55 |
| 3 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 48 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 48 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 47 |
| 6 | MagpiePica pica | 46 |
| 7 | Great TitParus major | 41 |
| 8 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 39 |
| 9 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 38 |
| 10 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 36 |
| 11 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 36 |
| 12 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 32 |
| 13 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 31 |
| 14 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 30 |
| 15 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 27 |
| 16 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 27 |
| 17 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 27 |
| 18 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 25 |
| 19 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 25 |
| 20 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 21 |
Records by month
What to put out in Great Dunmow
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- Great Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts · Suet
- Collared Dove
Seed mix
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 Great Dunmow?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Great Dunmow are Woodpigeon, Blue Tit, Blackbird, Robin and Magpie, based on 1,255 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Great Dunmow?
93 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Great Dunmow?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in October. Sunrise in late June is around 4:38.
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.