Birds of Winchester
What has actually been seen around Winchester: 163 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 163 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 35,326 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 61 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Winchester
163 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Winchester (Hampshire) since 2010, across 35,326 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Robin.
Winchester is a garden-bird place: 77% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin and Magpie make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
12 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Red Kite and Common Kestrel. 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 May and are lowest in August — about 3.5 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.
Compton, 5 km to the south, has a similar number of species on record (167 against 163).
Daylight runs from 16 h 34 min at midsummer to 7 h 54 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:12 in mid-April and 4:49 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Winchester
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 2,016 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,653 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,512 |
| 4 | MagpiePica pica | 1,308 |
| 5 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,301 |
| 6 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,296 |
| 7 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,191 |
| 8 | Great TitParus major | 1,161 |
| 9 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,017 |
| 10 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,004 |
| 11 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 972 |
| 12 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 801 |
| 13 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 795 |
| 14 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 731 |
| 15 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 685 |
| 16 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 677 |
| 17 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 656 |
| 18 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 654 |
| 19 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 652 |
| 20 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 652 |
Records by month
What to put out in Winchester
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 Winchester?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Winchester are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin, Magpie and Jackdaw, based on 35,326 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Winchester?
163 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Winchester?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in August. Sunrise in late June is around 4:49.
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.