Birds of Cheltenham
What has actually been seen around Cheltenham: 126 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 126 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 29,172 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 60 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Cheltenham
126 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Cheltenham (Gloucestershire) since 2010, across 29,172 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Magpie and Blue Tit.
Cheltenham is a garden-bird place: 82% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Magpie, Blue Tit and Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
11 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Tawny Owl and Red Kite. 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 January and are lowest in August — about 3.2 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.
Charlton Kings, 3 km to the south-east, has more species on record (132 against 126).
Daylight runs from 16 h 43 min at midsummer to 7 h 46 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:13 in mid-April and 4:48 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Cheltenham
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 2,475 |
| 2 | MagpiePica pica | 2,013 |
| 3 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,798 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,793 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,703 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,698 |
| 7 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,628 |
| 8 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 1,406 |
| 9 | Great TitParus major | 1,179 |
| 10 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 1,092 |
| 11 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 928 |
| 12 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 926 |
| 13 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 723 |
| 14 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 627 |
| 15 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 597 |
| 16 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 528 |
| 17 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 519 |
| 18 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 436 |
| 19 | JayGarrulus glandarius | 397 |
| 20 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 377 |
Records by month
What to put out in Cheltenham
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 Cheltenham?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Cheltenham are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Blue Tit, Robin and Carrion Crow, based on 29,172 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Cheltenham?
126 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Cheltenham?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in August. Sunrise in late June is around 4:48.
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.