Lincolnshire · 52.98°N

Birds of Boston

What has actually been seen around Boston: 170 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 170 within 5 km
Observation records: 4,846 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Common Crane
Busiest month: April
Elevation: 9 m
Daylight, June / December: 16.9 h / 7.6 h

What the records say about Boston

170 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Boston (Lincolnshire) since 2010, across 4,846 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Common Crane, Woodpigeon and Blackbird.

Water shapes this list. 43% of records near Boston are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Common Crane, Black-headed Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.

15 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel, Eurasian Marsh-Harrier and Common Buzzard.

Records peak in April and are lowest in February — about 4.1 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.

Fishtoft, 4 km to the south-east, has more species on record (286 against 170). Birds logged far more often around Boston than there include Common Crane, Swift, Great Egret and Green Woodpecker.

Daylight runs from 16 h 56 min at midsummer to 7 h 34 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:03 in mid-April and 4:33 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Boston

#	Bird	Records
1	Common CraneGrus grus	515
2	WoodpigeonColumba palumbus	246
3	BlackbirdTurdus merula	186
4	MagpiePica pica	145
5	Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus	143
6	RobinErithacus rubecula	135
7	Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto	110
8	Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus	109
9	SwiftApus apus	108
10	StarlingSturnus vulgaris	104
11	GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis	98
12	JackdawColoeus monedula	96
13	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	94
14	Great EgretArdea alba	93
15	Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus	91
16	European Herring GullLarus argentatus	88
17	Carrion CrowCorvus corone	88
18	Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus	74
19	Great TitParus major	73
20	Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus	72

Records by month

What to put out in Boston

Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.

Woodpigeon
Seed mix
Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
Collared Dove
Seed mix
Starling
Suet · Mealworms
Goldfinch
Nyjer seed · Sunflower hearts

Seasonal bird notes for Lincolnshire

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 Boston?

The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Boston are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Magpie, Robin and Collared Dove, based on 4,846 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Boston?

170 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).

When is the best month for birds in Boston?

Observation records peak in April and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 4:33.

Sources

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.