Birds of Banbury
What has actually been seen around Banbury: 143 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 143 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 6,997 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 100 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.7 h
What the records say about Banbury
143 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Banbury (Oxfordshire) since 2010, across 6,997 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon and Magpie.
The records split between garden birds (54%) and waterbirds (37%), so a feeder in Banbury sees the familiar Woodpigeon, Magpie and Blackbird, while Lesser Black-backed Gull and others turn up on nearby water.
12 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Common Buzzard 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 March — about 5.2 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.
Chacombe, 5 km to the north-east, has fewer species on record (133 against 143). Birds logged far more often around Banbury than there include Sedge Warbler.
Daylight runs from 16 h 45 min at midsummer to 7 h 44 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:10 in mid-April and 4:44 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Banbury
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 1,509 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 302 |
| 3 | MagpiePica pica | 233 |
| 4 | SwiftApus apus | 230 |
| 5 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 215 |
| 6 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 215 |
| 7 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 195 |
| 8 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 184 |
| 9 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 157 |
| 10 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 137 |
| 11 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 135 |
| 12 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 132 |
| 13 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 126 |
| 14 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 116 |
| 15 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 115 |
| 16 | Great TitParus major | 115 |
| 17 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 113 |
| 18 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 108 |
| 19 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 100 |
| 20 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 95 |
Records by month
What to put out in Banbury
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Oxfordshire
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 Banbury?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Banbury are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Blackbird, Carrion Crow and Robin, based on 6,997 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Banbury?
143 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Banbury?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in March. Sunrise in late June is around 4:44.
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.