Birds of Heacham
What has actually been seen around Heacham: 252 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 252 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 88,254 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Black-headed Gull
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 8 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.9 h / 7.6 h
What the records say about Heacham
252 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Heacham (Norfolk) since 2010, across 88,254 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Black-headed Gull, Woodpigeon and European Herring Gull.
Water shapes this list. 42% of records near Heacham are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Black-headed Gull, European Herring Gull and Eurasian Oystercatcher lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.
17 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Eurasian Marsh-Harrier, Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel.
Records peak in May and are lowest in December — about 6.1 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.
Snettisham, 3 km to the south, has more species on record (260 against 252). Birds logged far more often around Heacham than there include Northern Fulmar.
Daylight runs from 16 h 55 min at midsummer to 7 h 35 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 Heacham
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 2,530 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 2,370 |
| 3 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 2,200 |
| 4 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 2,100 |
| 5 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 1,886 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,795 |
| 7 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,699 |
| 8 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,666 |
| 9 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 1,614 |
| 10 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,444 |
| 11 | MagpiePica pica | 1,415 |
| 12 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 1,357 |
| 13 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 1,344 |
| 14 | Common LinnetLinaria cannabina | 1,343 |
| 15 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,340 |
| 16 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 1,338 |
| 17 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 1,270 |
| 18 | Common GullLarus canus | 1,270 |
| 19 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 1,243 |
| 20 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,213 |
Records by month
What to put out in Heacham
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 Heacham?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Heacham are Woodpigeon, Starling, Blackbird, Jackdaw and Goldfinch, based on 88,254 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Heacham?
252 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Heacham?
Observation records peak in May 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.