Birds of Great Barton

195 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Great Barton (Suffolk) since 2010, across 41,537 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon and Blackbird.

Water shapes this list. 53% of records near Great Barton are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Lesser Black-backed Gull, Black-headed Gull and European Herring Gull lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.

15 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Red Kite 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 August and are lowest in December — 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.

Thurston, 4 km to the south-east, has fewer species on record (164 against 195). Birds logged far more often around Great Barton than there include House Sparrow, Rock Pigeon, Coal Tit and Tree Sparrow.

Daylight runs from 16 h 47 min at midsummer to 7 h 42 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:01 in mid-April and 4:34 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.

• Woodpigeon

  Seed mix

• Blackbird

  Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms

• Jackdaw

  Suet · Kitchen scraps

• Blue Tit

  Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet

• Robin

  Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts

• Collared Dove

  Seed mix

• Thurston4 km south-east · 164 species
• Bury St Edmunds5 km south-west · 151 species
• Ixworth5 km north-east · 197 species
• Bardwell8 km north-east · 169 species
• Horringer8 km south-west · 128 species
• Risby9 km west · 196 species