Birds of Welney
What has actually been seen around Welney: 221 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 221 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 106,043 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Whooper Swan
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 4 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.8 h / 7.7 h
What the records say about Welney
221 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Welney (Norfolk) since 2010, across 106,043 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Whooper Swan, Mallard and Mute Swan.
Water shapes this list. 55% of records near Welney are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Whooper Swan, Mallard and Mute Swan lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.
16 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Eurasian Marsh-Harrier, Common Kestrel and Common Buzzard.
Records peak in January and are lowest in August — about 3.0 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.
Manea, 6 km to the south-west, has a similar number of species on record (217 against 221). Birds logged far more often around Welney than there include Cattle Egret.
Daylight runs from 16 h 50 min at midsummer to 7 h 39 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:03 in mid-April and 4:35 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Welney
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Whooper SwanCygnus cygnus | 2,827 |
| 2 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 2,636 |
| 3 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 2,487 |
| 4 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 2,472 |
| 5 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 2,343 |
| 6 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 2,277 |
| 7 | Graylag GooseAnser anser | 2,275 |
| 8 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 2,256 |
| 9 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 2,211 |
| 10 | Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata | 2,093 |
| 11 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 2,047 |
| 12 | Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope | 2,022 |
| 13 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,991 |
| 14 | Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosa | 1,985 |
| 15 | Eurasian TealAnas crecca | 1,968 |
| 16 | Eurasian Marsh-HarrierCircus aeruginosus | 1,865 |
| 17 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 1,850 |
| 18 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 1,803 |
| 19 | Tree SparrowPasser montanus | 1,801 |
| 20 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 1,787 |
Records by month
What to put out in Welney
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
- Tree Sparrow
Seed mix · Millet
- Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
- Goldfinch
Nyjer seed · Sunflower hearts
- Starling
Suet · Mealworms
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 Welney?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Welney are Woodpigeon, House Sparrow, Carrion Crow, Tree Sparrow and Magpie, based on 106,043 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Welney?
221 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Welney?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in August. Sunrise in late June is around 4:35.
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.