Birds of Barford St Michael
What has actually been seen around Barford St Michael: 85 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 85 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 1,430 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Busiest month
- August
- Elevation
- 102 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.7 h
What the records say about Barford St Michael
85 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Barford St Michael (Oxfordshire) since 2010, across 1,430 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Lesser Black-backed Gull, Swift and Woodpigeon.
The records split between garden birds (58%) and waterbirds (26%), so a feeder in Barford St Michael sees the familiar Woodpigeon, Robin and Blue Tit, while Lesser Black-backed Gull and others turn up on nearby water.
9 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 August and are lowest in February — about 7.8 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.
Deddington, 3 km to the east, has more species on record (102 against 85). Birds logged far more often around Barford St Michael than there include Coal Tit.
Daylight runs from 16 h 44 min at midsummer to 7 h 45 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 Barford St Michael
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 336 |
| 2 | SwiftApus apus | 114 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 50 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 49 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 46 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 46 |
| 7 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 45 |
| 8 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 43 |
| 9 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 40 |
| 10 | Great TitParus major | 39 |
| 11 | MagpiePica pica | 35 |
| 12 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 29 |
| 13 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 29 |
| 14 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 28 |
| 15 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 27 |
| 16 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 25 |
| 17 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 23 |
| 18 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 23 |
| 19 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 23 |
| 20 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 21 |
Records by month
What to put out in Barford St Michael
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 Barford St Michael?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Barford St Michael are Woodpigeon, Robin, Blue Tit, Blackbird and Jackdaw, based on 1,430 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Barford St Michael?
85 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Barford St Michael?
Observation records peak in August and are lowest in February. 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.