Birds of Docking
What has actually been seen around Docking: 157 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 157 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 8,371 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Busiest month
- December
- Elevation
- 88 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.9 h / 7.6 h
What the records say about Docking
157 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Docking (Norfolk) since 2010, across 8,371 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Lesser Black-backed Gull, Pink-footed Goose and Red-legged Partridge.
The records split between garden birds (47%) and waterbirds (33%), so a feeder in Docking sees the familiar Woodpigeon, Chaffinch and Yellowhammer, while Lesser Black-backed Gull and others turn up on nearby water.
14 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Red Kite 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 December and are lowest in March — about 6.2 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.
Sedgeford, 5 km to the west, has more species on record (194 against 157). Birds logged far more often around Docking than there include Lesser Black-backed Gull, Corn Bunting, Tundra Bean Goose and European Golden Plover.
Daylight runs from 16 h 55 min at midsummer to 7 h 35 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:00 in mid-April and 4:31 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Docking
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 735 |
| 2 | Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchus | 369 |
| 3 | Red-legged PartridgeAlectoris rufa | 343 |
| 4 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 305 |
| 5 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 268 |
| 6 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 258 |
| 7 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 243 |
| 8 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 231 |
| 9 | YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella | 218 |
| 10 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 202 |
| 11 | Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensis | 201 |
| 12 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 190 |
| 13 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 173 |
| 14 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 151 |
| 15 | Common LinnetLinaria cannabina | 148 |
| 16 | Common GullLarus canus | 144 |
| 17 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 141 |
| 18 | Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus | 134 |
| 19 | Stock DoveColumba oenas | 133 |
| 20 | Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra | 131 |
Records by month
What to put out in Docking
Seasonal bird notes for Norfolk
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 Docking?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Docking are Woodpigeon, Chaffinch, Yellowhammer, Eurasian Skylark and Blackbird, based on 8,371 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Docking?
157 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Docking?
Observation records peak in December and are lowest in March. 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.