Birds of Hitcham
What has actually been seen around Hitcham: 105 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 105 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 2,231 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Common Buzzard
- Busiest month
- June
- Elevation
- 56 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.8 h / 7.7 h
What the records say about Hitcham
105 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Hitcham (Suffolk) since 2010, across 2,231 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Common Buzzard, Lesser Black-backed Gull and Stock Dove.
Hitcham 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. Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Blue Tit and Goldfinch make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
11 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Barn Owl 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 June and are lowest in September — about 4.4 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.
Wattisham, 3 km to the east, has a similar number of species on record (104 against 105).
Daylight runs from 16 h 46 min at midsummer to 7 h 43 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.
Most recorded birds near Hitcham
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 83 |
| 2 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 75 |
| 3 | Stock DoveColumba oenas | 75 |
| 4 | Barn OwlTyto alba | 75 |
| 5 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 63 |
| 6 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 54 |
| 7 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 53 |
| 8 | SwiftApus apus | 53 |
| 9 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 48 |
| 10 | FieldfareTurdus pilaris | 46 |
| 11 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 42 |
| 12 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 42 |
| 13 | Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus | 39 |
| 14 | Great TitParus major | 39 |
| 15 | Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus | 37 |
| 16 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 37 |
| 17 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 36 |
| 18 | Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata | 34 |
| 19 | MagpiePica pica | 34 |
| 20 | House MartinDelichon urbicum | 33 |
Records by month
What to put out in Hitcham
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Suffolk
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 Hitcham?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Hitcham are Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Blue Tit, Goldfinch and Blackbird, based on 2,231 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Hitcham?
105 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Hitcham?
Observation records peak in June and are lowest in September. Sunrise in late June is around 4:34.
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.