Birds of Hunstanton
What has actually been seen around Hunstanton: 273 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 273 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 119,875 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Black-headed Gull
- Busiest month
- October
- Elevation
- 24 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.9 h / 7.6 h
What the records say about Hunstanton
273 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Hunstanton (Norfolk) since 2010, across 119,875 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Black-headed Gull, Eurasian Oystercatcher and European Herring Gull.
Water shapes this list. 53% of records near Hunstanton are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Black-headed Gull, Eurasian Oystercatcher and European Herring Gull 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 Kestrel and Common Buzzard.
Records peak in October and are lowest in July — about 4.8 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.
Heacham, 5 km to the south, has fewer species on record (252 against 273).
Daylight runs from 16 h 56 min at midsummer to 7 h 34 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 Hunstanton
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 3,268 |
| 2 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 2,960 |
| 3 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 2,946 |
| 4 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 2,886 |
| 5 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 2,262 |
| 6 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 2,232 |
| 7 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 2,206 |
| 8 | MagpiePica pica | 2,057 |
| 9 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 2,020 |
| 10 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 1,983 |
| 11 | Little EgretEgretta garzetta | 1,882 |
| 12 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,764 |
| 13 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,749 |
| 14 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,744 |
| 15 | Eurasian Marsh-HarrierCircus aeruginosus | 1,700 |
| 16 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,669 |
| 17 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,618 |
| 18 | Common LinnetLinaria cannabina | 1,577 |
| 19 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 1,558 |
| 20 | Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis | 1,518 |
Records by month
What to put out in Hunstanton
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 Hunstanton?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Hunstanton are Woodpigeon, Starling, Magpie, Robin and Goldfinch, based on 119,875 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Hunstanton?
273 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Hunstanton?
Observation records peak in October and are lowest in July. 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.