Birds of Rackheath
What has actually been seen around Rackheath: 177 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 177 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 39,202 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 29 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.9 h / 7.6 h
What the records say about Rackheath
177 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Rackheath (Norfolk) since 2010, across 39,202 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Robin.
Rackheath is a garden-bird place: 70% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin and Blue Tit make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
15 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Eurasian Sparrowhawk. 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 December — about 2.9 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.
Spixworth, 5 km to the north-west, has fewer species on record (136 against 177). Birds logged far more often around Rackheath than there include Rook, Mute Swan, Graylag Goose and Great Cormorant.
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 4:29 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Rackheath
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,846 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,673 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,652 |
| 4 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 1,617 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,547 |
| 6 | MagpiePica pica | 1,522 |
| 7 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,226 |
| 8 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,199 |
| 9 | Great TitParus major | 1,111 |
| 10 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,071 |
| 11 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 948 |
| 12 | GoldcrestRegulus regulus | 888 |
| 13 | JayGarrulus glandarius | 866 |
| 14 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 856 |
| 15 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 847 |
| 16 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 789 |
| 17 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 769 |
| 18 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 765 |
| 19 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 745 |
| 20 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 733 |
Records by month
What to put out in Rackheath
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 Rackheath?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Rackheath are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin, Blue Tit and Magpie, based on 39,202 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Rackheath?
177 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Rackheath?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:29.
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.