Birds of Oxford
What has actually been seen around Oxford: 204 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 204 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 239,033 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 72 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Oxford
204 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Oxford (Oxfordshire) since 2010, across 239,033 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Robin and Magpie.
Oxford is a garden-bird place: 67% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Robin, Magpie and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
14 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel. 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 August — about 3.3 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.
Marston, 3 km to the north, has more species on record (209 against 204).
Daylight runs from 16 h 41 min at midsummer to 7 h 47 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:10 in mid-April and 4:45 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Oxford
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 11,248 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 9,466 |
| 3 | MagpiePica pica | 9,044 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 8,363 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 7,950 |
| 6 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 7,794 |
| 7 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 7,767 |
| 8 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 7,088 |
| 9 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 6,953 |
| 10 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 6,862 |
| 11 | Great TitParus major | 6,644 |
| 12 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 6,314 |
| 13 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 6,217 |
| 14 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 5,490 |
| 15 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 5,218 |
| 16 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 4,903 |
| 17 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 4,881 |
| 18 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 4,697 |
| 19 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 4,648 |
| 20 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 4,363 |
Records by month
What to put out in Oxford
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 Oxford?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Oxford are Woodpigeon, Robin, Magpie, Blackbird and Carrion Crow, based on 239,033 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Oxford?
204 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Oxford?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in August. Sunrise in late June is around 4:45.
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.