Birds of Berkeley
What has actually been seen around Berkeley: 167 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 167 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 6,356 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Mallard
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 21 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Berkeley
167 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Berkeley (Gloucestershire) since 2010, across 6,356 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Mallard, Blackbird and Woodpigeon.
Water shapes this list. 40% of records near Berkeley are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Mallard, Common Moorhen and Lesser Black-backed Gull lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Blackbird is still the most logged garden bird.
12 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard and Peregrine Falcon.
Records peak in January and are lowest in October — about 3.1 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.
Sharpness, 3 km to the north, has more species on record (223 against 167). Birds logged far more often around Berkeley than there include Common Pochard, Eurasian Spoonbill and Black Redstart.
Daylight runs from 16 h 41 min at midsummer to 7 h 48 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:15 in mid-April and 4:50 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Berkeley
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 209 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 207 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 203 |
| 4 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 196 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 190 |
| 6 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 189 |
| 7 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 180 |
| 8 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 179 |
| 9 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 168 |
| 10 | MagpiePica pica | 154 |
| 11 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 153 |
| 12 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 153 |
| 13 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 137 |
| 14 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 134 |
| 15 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 130 |
| 16 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 123 |
| 17 | Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope | 122 |
| 18 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 120 |
| 19 | Great TitParus major | 120 |
| 20 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 108 |
Records by month
What to put out in Berkeley
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Gloucestershire
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 Berkeley?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Berkeley are Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Robin, Carrion Crow and Magpie, based on 6,356 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Berkeley?
167 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Berkeley?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in October. Sunrise in late June is around 4:50.
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.