Birds of Great Oakley
What has actually been seen around Great Oakley: 170 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 170 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 5,706 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 26 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Great Oakley
170 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Great Oakley (Essex) since 2010, across 5,706 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Robin.
The records split between garden birds (54%) and waterbirds (37%), so a feeder in Great Oakley sees the familiar Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Robin, while Black-headed Gull and others turn up on nearby water.
14 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel, Common Buzzard and Eurasian Marsh-Harrier.
Records peak in April and are lowest in September — about 3.9 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.
Thorpe le Soken, 6 km to the south, has fewer species on record (134 against 170). Birds logged far more often around Great Oakley than there include Common Shelduck, Eurasian Wigeon, Black-tailed Godwit and Northern Pintail.
Daylight runs from 16 h 43 min at midsummer to 7 h 46 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:00 in mid-April and 4:35 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Great Oakley
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 193 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 170 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 163 |
| 4 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 155 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 144 |
| 6 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 142 |
| 7 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 132 |
| 8 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 126 |
| 9 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 121 |
| 10 | Great TitParus major | 120 |
| 11 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 117 |
| 12 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 107 |
| 13 | Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna | 104 |
| 14 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 103 |
| 15 | Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus | 102 |
| 16 | Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope | 99 |
| 17 | Little EgretEgretta garzetta | 98 |
| 18 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 96 |
| 19 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 94 |
| 20 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 89 |
Records by month
What to put out in Great Oakley
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 Great Oakley?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Great Oakley are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin, Blue Tit and Magpie, based on 5,706 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Great Oakley?
170 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 Oakley?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in September. Sunrise in late June is around 4:35.
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.