Birds of Basingstoke
What has actually been seen around Basingstoke: 178 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 178 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 45,469 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 96 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Basingstoke
178 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Basingstoke (Hampshire) since 2010, across 45,469 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Robin and Blue Tit.
Basingstoke is a garden-bird place: 79% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Robin, Blue Tit and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
15 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Common Buzzard and Eurasian Sparrowhawk. 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 April and are lowest in February — about 1.9 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.
Old Basing, 4 km to the east, has fewer species on record (157 against 178). Birds logged far more often around Basingstoke than there include Graylag Goose.
Daylight runs from 16 h 36 min at midsummer to 7 h 52 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:10 in mid-April and 4:47 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Basingstoke
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 2,691 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 2,146 |
| 3 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 2,104 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 2,041 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 2,030 |
| 6 | Great TitParus major | 1,627 |
| 7 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 1,616 |
| 8 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,457 |
| 9 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,450 |
| 10 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,391 |
| 11 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,373 |
| 12 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 1,241 |
| 13 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 1,238 |
| 14 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 1,119 |
| 15 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 899 |
| 16 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 848 |
| 17 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 806 |
| 18 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 806 |
| 19 | GreenfinchChloris chloris | 791 |
| 20 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 764 |
Records by month
What to put out in Basingstoke
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Hampshire
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 Basingstoke?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Basingstoke are Woodpigeon, Robin, Blue Tit, Blackbird and Magpie, based on 45,469 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Basingstoke?
178 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Basingstoke?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 4:47.
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.