Birds of Wells-next-the-Sea
What has actually been seen around Wells-next-the-Sea: 287 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 287 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 236,783 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- October
- Elevation
- 8 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.9 h / 7.6 h
What the records say about Wells-next-the-Sea
287 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Wells-next-the-Sea (Norfolk) since 2010, across 236,783 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Black-headed Gull and Mallard.
Water shapes this list. 51% of records near Wells-next-the-Sea are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Black-headed Gull, Mallard 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.
19 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Eurasian Marsh-Harrier, Red Kite and Common Buzzard.
Records peak in October and are lowest in June — about 6.5 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.
Little Walsingham, 7 km to the south, has fewer species on record (135 against 287). Birds logged far more often around Wells-next-the-Sea than there include Eurasian Curlew, Common Redshank, Little Egret and Brant.
Daylight runs from 16 h 56 min at midsummer to 7 h 34 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 5:59 in mid-April and 4:30 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Wells-next-the-Sea
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 5,827 |
| 2 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 5,823 |
| 3 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 5,316 |
| 4 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 4,972 |
| 5 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 4,616 |
| 6 | Eurasian Marsh-HarrierCircus aeruginosus | 4,609 |
| 7 | Graylag GooseAnser anser | 4,579 |
| 8 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 4,288 |
| 9 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 4,173 |
| 10 | Little EgretEgretta garzetta | 4,141 |
| 11 | Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchus | 4,059 |
| 12 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 4,007 |
| 13 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 3,952 |
| 14 | BrantBranta bernicla | 3,895 |
| 15 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 3,835 |
| 16 | Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna | 3,797 |
| 17 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 3,781 |
| 18 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 3,599 |
| 19 | Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope | 3,539 |
| 20 | Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiaca | 3,501 |
Records by month
What to put out in Wells-next-the-Sea
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 Wells-next-the-Sea?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Wells-next-the-Sea are Woodpigeon, Wren, Robin, Starling and Blackbird, based on 236,783 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Wells-next-the-Sea?
287 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Wells-next-the-Sea?
Observation records peak in October and are lowest in June. 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.