Birds of Cosham
What has actually been seen around Cosham: 224 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 224 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 91,855 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- September
- Elevation
- 14 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.5 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Cosham
224 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Cosham (Portsmouth) since 2010, across 91,855 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Black-headed Gull and Carrion Crow.
Water shapes this list. 57% of records near Cosham are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Black-headed Gull, European Herring Gull and Little Egret lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.
14 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel and Common Buzzard.
Records peak in September and are lowest in November — about 1.9 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.
Waterlooville, 4 km to the north-east, has fewer species on record (186 against 224). Birds logged far more often around Cosham than there include Pied Avocet, Northern Pintail and Common Ringed Plover.
Daylight runs from 16 h 31 min at midsummer to 7 h 56 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:11 in mid-April and 4:49 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Cosham
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 2,849 |
| 2 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 2,716 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 2,529 |
| 4 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 2,458 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 2,312 |
| 6 | Little EgretEgretta garzetta | 2,100 |
| 7 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 2,056 |
| 8 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 2,023 |
| 9 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 1,990 |
| 10 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 1,966 |
| 11 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 1,933 |
| 12 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 1,908 |
| 13 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 1,883 |
| 14 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 1,810 |
| 15 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,766 |
| 16 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,675 |
| 17 | Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna | 1,660 |
| 18 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 1,652 |
| 19 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 1,620 |
| 20 | Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus | 1,582 |
Records by month
What to put out in Cosham
Seasonal bird notes for Portsmouth
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 Cosham?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Cosham are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Starling and Robin, based on 91,855 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Cosham?
224 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Cosham?
Observation records peak in September and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:49.
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.