Birds of Norwich
What has actually been seen around Norwich: 223 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 223 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 184,190 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 19 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.9 h / 7.6 h
What the records say about Norwich
223 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Norwich (Norfolk) since 2010, across 184,190 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Blue Tit.
Norwich is a garden-bird place: 69% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Blue Tit and Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
15 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Eurasian Sparrowhawk 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 July — about 3.8 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.
Cringleford, 5 km to the south-west, has fewer species on record (213 against 223). Birds logged far more often around Norwich than there include Tufted Duck.
Daylight runs from 16 h 52 min at midsummer to 7 h 38 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 5:58 in mid-April and 4:30 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Norwich
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 9,585 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 8,153 |
| 3 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 7,247 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 7,106 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 7,079 |
| 6 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 6,672 |
| 7 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 6,542 |
| 8 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 6,366 |
| 9 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 5,865 |
| 10 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 5,491 |
| 11 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 5,096 |
| 12 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 5,082 |
| 13 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 5,040 |
| 14 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 5,018 |
| 15 | Great TitParus major | 4,976 |
| 16 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 4,243 |
| 17 | JayGarrulus glandarius | 3,248 |
| 18 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 2,916 |
| 19 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 2,846 |
| 20 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 2,745 |
Records by month
What to put out in Norwich
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
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 Norwich?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Norwich are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Robin and Magpie, based on 184,190 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Norwich?
223 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Norwich?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in July. Sunrise in late June is around 4:30.
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.