Birds of Markfield
What has actually been seen around Markfield: 217 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 217 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 79,099 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Carrion Crow
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 179 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.9 h / 7.6 h
What the records say about Markfield
217 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Markfield (Leicestershire) since 2010, across 79,099 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Carrion Crow, Robin and Woodpigeon.
Markfield is a garden-bird place: 64% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Carrion Crow, Robin, Woodpigeon and Blue Tit make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
18 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 April and are lowest in December — 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.
Ratby, 5 km to the south-east, has fewer species on record (199 against 217).
Daylight runs from 16 h 52 min at midsummer to 7 h 37 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:08 in mid-April and 4:40 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Markfield
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 2,442 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 2,433 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 2,343 |
| 4 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 2,305 |
| 5 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 2,191 |
| 6 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 2,029 |
| 7 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,937 |
| 8 | Great TitParus major | 1,854 |
| 9 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,802 |
| 10 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 1,760 |
| 11 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 1,627 |
| 12 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 1,533 |
| 13 | NuthatchSitta europaea | 1,495 |
| 14 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 1,484 |
| 15 | Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis | 1,444 |
| 16 | Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major | 1,324 |
| 17 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 1,251 |
| 18 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,239 |
| 19 | JayGarrulus glandarius | 1,221 |
| 20 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 1,220 |
Records by month
What to put out in Markfield
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Leicestershire
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 Markfield?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Markfield are Carrion Crow, Robin, Woodpigeon, Blue Tit and Wren, based on 79,099 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Markfield?
217 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Markfield?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:40.
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.