Birds of Ipswich
What has actually been seen around Ipswich: 199 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 199 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 75,828 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 18 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.7 h
What the records say about Ipswich
199 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Ipswich (Suffolk) since 2010, across 75,828 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Robin and Magpie.
Ipswich is a garden-bird place: 68% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Robin, Magpie and Carrion Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
15 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Eurasian Sparrowhawk 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 January and are lowest in August — about 3.4 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.
Bramford, 4 km to the north-west, has fewer species on record (154 against 199). Birds logged far more often around Ipswich than there include Cetti's Warbler, Common Redshank and Common Shelduck.
Daylight runs from 16 h 45 min at midsummer to 7 h 44 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:00 in mid-April and 4:34 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Ipswich
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 3,091 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 2,778 |
| 3 | MagpiePica pica | 2,732 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 2,705 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 2,677 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 2,531 |
| 7 | Great TitParus major | 2,236 |
| 8 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 2,173 |
| 9 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 1,988 |
| 10 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,966 |
| 11 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 1,802 |
| 12 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 1,765 |
| 13 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,734 |
| 14 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 1,666 |
| 15 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 1,649 |
| 16 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 1,551 |
| 17 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 1,453 |
| 18 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,296 |
| 19 | Stock DoveColumba oenas | 1,260 |
| 20 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 1,252 |
Records by month
What to put out in Ipswich
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 Ipswich?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Ipswich are Woodpigeon, Robin, Magpie, Carrion Crow and Blue Tit, based on 75,828 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Ipswich?
199 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Ipswich?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in August. 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.