Birds of Skegness
What has actually been seen around Skegness: 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
- 12,773 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Mallard
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 6 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17 h / 7.5 h
What the records say about Skegness
217 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Skegness (Lincolnshire) since 2010, across 12,773 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Mallard, Black-headed Gull and Woodpigeon.
Water shapes this list. 56% of records near Skegness are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Mallard, Black-headed Gull and European Herring 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. 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 2.5 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.
Ingoldmells, 6 km to the north, has fewer species on record (152 against 217). Birds logged far more often around Skegness than there include Little Grebe, Northern Lapwing, Pied Avocet and Tufted Duck.
Daylight runs from 16 h 58 min at midsummer to 7 h 32 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:01 in mid-April and 4:31 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Skegness
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 370 |
| 2 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 361 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 317 |
| 4 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 276 |
| 5 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 274 |
| 6 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 262 |
| 7 | Graylag GooseAnser anser | 259 |
| 8 | Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis | 257 |
| 9 | Little EgretEgretta garzetta | 256 |
| 10 | MagpiePica pica | 256 |
| 11 | Eurasian TealAnas crecca | 248 |
| 12 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 243 |
| 13 | Pied AvocetRecurvirostra avosetta | 241 |
| 14 | Tufted DuckAythya fuligula | 236 |
| 15 | Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata | 226 |
| 16 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 218 |
| 17 | Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna | 215 |
| 18 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 214 |
| 19 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 214 |
| 20 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 214 |
Records by month
What to put out in Skegness
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 Skegness?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Skegness are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Blackbird, Jackdaw and Carrion Crow, based on 12,773 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Skegness?
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 Skegness?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:31.
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.