Birds of Lakenheath
What has actually been seen around Lakenheath: 219 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 219 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 90,873 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Mute Swan
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 15 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.8 h / 7.7 h
What the records say about Lakenheath
219 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Lakenheath (Suffolk) since 2010, across 90,873 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Mute Swan, Eurasian Marsh-Harrier and Mallard.
Water shapes this list. 42% of records near Lakenheath are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Mute Swan, Mallard and Eurasian Coot lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.
19 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Eurasian Marsh-Harrier, Common Kestrel and Common Buzzard.
Records peak in May and are lowest in December — about 11.6 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.
Hockwold cum Wilton, 5 km to the north, has a similar number of species on record (220 against 219).
Daylight runs from 16 h 49 min at midsummer to 7 h 40 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:02 in mid-April and 4:34 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Lakenheath
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 2,229 |
| 2 | Eurasian Marsh-HarrierCircus aeruginosus | 2,154 |
| 3 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 2,115 |
| 4 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 1,961 |
| 5 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,899 |
| 6 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,858 |
| 7 | Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus | 1,856 |
| 8 | Graylag GooseAnser anser | 1,854 |
| 9 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,813 |
| 10 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 1,794 |
| 11 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,788 |
| 12 | Great TitParus major | 1,732 |
| 13 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,716 |
| 14 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 1,671 |
| 15 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 1,625 |
| 16 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 1,576 |
| 17 | Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus | 1,562 |
| 18 | GadwallMareca strepera | 1,539 |
| 19 | Little EgretEgretta garzetta | 1,538 |
| 20 | Cetti's WarblerCettia cetti | 1,507 |
Records by month
What to put out in Lakenheath
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 Lakenheath?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Lakenheath are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Common Reed Bunting, Blue Tit and Goldfinch, based on 90,873 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Lakenheath?
219 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Lakenheath?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in December. 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.