Birds of Woburn Sands
What has actually been seen around Woburn Sands: 161 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 161 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 23,934 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 90 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.7 h
What the records say about Woburn Sands
161 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Woburn Sands (Milton Keynes) since 2010, across 23,934 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Lesser Black-backed Gull, Robin and Woodpigeon.
Woburn Sands is a garden-bird place: 65% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Robin, Woodpigeon, Magpie and Carrion Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
12 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 January and are lowest in July — about 2.8 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.
Woburn, 4 km to the south-east, has fewer species on record (121 against 161). Birds logged far more often around Woburn Sands than there include Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Little Egret and Common Reed Bunting.
Daylight runs from 16 h 44 min at midsummer to 7 h 45 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:07 in mid-April and 4:41 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Woburn Sands
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 1,861 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,152 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,087 |
| 4 | MagpiePica pica | 1,017 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 988 |
| 6 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 987 |
| 7 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 861 |
| 8 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 750 |
| 9 | Great TitParus major | 718 |
| 10 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 629 |
| 11 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 584 |
| 12 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 548 |
| 13 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 530 |
| 14 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 528 |
| 15 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 473 |
| 16 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 436 |
| 17 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 423 |
| 18 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 423 |
| 19 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 410 |
| 20 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 363 |
Records by month
What to put out in Woburn Sands
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Milton Keynes
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 Woburn Sands?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Woburn Sands are Robin, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Carrion Crow and Blue Tit, based on 23,934 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Woburn Sands?
161 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Woburn Sands?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in July. Sunrise in late June is around 4:41.
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.