Birds of Watton
What has actually been seen around Watton: 121 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 121 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 12,639 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 55 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.8 h / 7.6 h
What the records say about Watton
121 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Watton (Norfolk) since 2010, across 12,639 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Blue Tit.
Watton is a garden-bird place: 83% 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.
10 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 January and are lowest in August — about 13.3 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.
Carbrooke, 3 km to the north-east, has more species on record (126 against 121). Birds logged far more often around Watton than there include Egyptian Goose and Common Reed Bunting.
Daylight runs from 16 h 51 min at midsummer to 7 h 39 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:00 in mid-April and 4:32 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Watton
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 710 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 688 |
| 3 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 667 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 614 |
| 5 | Great TitParus major | 576 |
| 6 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 513 |
| 7 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 466 |
| 8 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 434 |
| 9 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 385 |
| 10 | GreenfinchChloris chloris | 385 |
| 11 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 361 |
| 12 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 318 |
| 13 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 317 |
| 14 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 309 |
| 15 | MagpiePica pica | 307 |
| 16 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 301 |
| 17 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 290 |
| 18 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 250 |
| 19 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 248 |
| 20 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 242 |
Records by month
What to put out in Watton
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 Watton?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Watton are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Robin and Great Tit, based on 12,639 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Watton?
121 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Watton?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in August. Sunrise in late June is around 4:32.
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.