Norfolk · 52.40°N

Birds of Harleston

What has actually been seen around Harleston: 150 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 150 within 5 km
Observation records: 2,368 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Lesser Black-backed Gull
Busiest month: April
Elevation: 34 m
Daylight, June / December: 16.8 h / 7.7 h

What the records say about Harleston

150 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Harleston (Norfolk) since 2010, across 2,368 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Lesser Black-backed Gull, Common Kingfisher and Barn Owl.

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

14 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Barn Owl, 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 April and are lowest in November — about 13.5 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.

Pulham St Mary, 4 km to the north-west, has a similar number of species on record (150 against 150). Birds logged far more often around Harleston than there include Common Kingfisher, Barn Owl, Treecreeper and Barnacle Goose.

Daylight runs from 16 h 49 min at midsummer to 7 h 40 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 5:59 in mid-April and 4:31 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Harleston

#	Bird	Records
1	Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus	158
2	Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis	141
3	Barn OwlTyto alba	117
4	SwiftApus apus	83
5	WoodpigeonColumba palumbus	59
6	Stock DoveColumba oenas	54
7	Little EgretEgretta garzetta	52
8	Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus	45
9	TreecreeperCerthia familiaris	43
10	Common BuzzardButeo buteo	42
11	RobinErithacus rubecula	41
12	JackdawColoeus monedula	37
13	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	37
14	Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus	35
15	Carrion CrowCorvus corone	34
16	Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus	33
17	BlackbirdTurdus merula	33
18	Graylag GooseAnser anser	33
19	Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus	33
20	GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis	32

Records by month

What to put out in Harleston

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

Woodpigeon
Seed mix
Treecreeper
Suet smeared into bark
Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms

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 Harleston?

The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Harleston are Woodpigeon, Stock Dove, Treecreeper, Robin and Jackdaw, based on 2,368 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Harleston?

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

When is the best month for birds in Harleston?

Observation records peak in April and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:31.

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.