Birds of Stamford
What has actually been seen around Stamford: 137 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 137 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 5,730 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Red Kite
- Busiest month
- July
- Elevation
- 28 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.9 h / 7.6 h
What the records say about Stamford
137 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Stamford (Lincolnshire) since 2010, across 5,730 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Red Kite, Woodpigeon and Mallard.
The records split between garden birds (55%) and waterbirds (28%), so a feeder in Stamford sees the familiar Woodpigeon, House Sparrow and Carrion Crow, while Mallard and others turn up on nearby water.
13 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Common Buzzard 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 July and are lowest in November — about 5.2 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.
Ryhall, 4 km to the north, has fewer species on record (132 against 137). Birds logged far more often around Stamford than there include Chiffchaff, Common Raven and Treecreeper.
Daylight runs from 16 h 52 min at midsummer to 7 h 38 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:05 in mid-April and 4:37 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Stamford
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 375 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 248 |
| 3 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 214 |
| 4 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 203 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 166 |
| 6 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 164 |
| 7 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 159 |
| 8 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 153 |
| 9 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 138 |
| 10 | SwiftApus apus | 135 |
| 11 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 133 |
| 12 | Graylag GooseAnser anser | 124 |
| 13 | MagpiePica pica | 122 |
| 14 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 121 |
| 15 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 115 |
| 16 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 112 |
| 17 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 103 |
| 18 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 98 |
| 19 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 93 |
| 20 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 89 |
Records by month
What to put out in Stamford
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
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 Stamford?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Stamford are Woodpigeon, House Sparrow, Carrion Crow, Blackbird and Jackdaw, based on 5,730 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Stamford?
137 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Stamford?
Observation records peak in July and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:37.
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.