Birds of Sway
What has actually been seen around Sway: 161 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 161 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 37,960 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Robin
- Busiest month
- June
- Elevation
- 40 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.5 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Sway
161 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Sway (Hampshire) since 2010, across 37,960 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Robin, Blackbird and Woodpigeon.
Sway is a garden-bird place: 86% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Robin, Blackbird, Woodpigeon and Carrion Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
16 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel 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 June and are lowest in October — about 2.2 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.
Brockenhurst, 4 km to the north-east, has fewer species on record (153 against 161).
Daylight runs from 16 h 31 min at midsummer to 7 h 57 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:13 in mid-April and 4:52 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Sway
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,352 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,299 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,235 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,197 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,107 |
| 6 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 1,083 |
| 7 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,061 |
| 8 | Great TitParus major | 957 |
| 9 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 937 |
| 10 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 912 |
| 11 | GreenfinchChloris chloris | 903 |
| 12 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 894 |
| 13 | Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis | 887 |
| 14 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 881 |
| 15 | MagpiePica pica | 871 |
| 16 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 842 |
| 17 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 841 |
| 18 | European StonechatSaxicola rubicola | 812 |
| 19 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 792 |
| 20 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 731 |
Records by month
What to put out in Sway
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 Sway?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Sway are Robin, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow and Blue Tit, based on 37,960 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Sway?
161 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Sway?
Observation records peak in June and are lowest in October. Sunrise in late June is around 4:52.
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.