Birds of Lowestoft
What has actually been seen around Lowestoft: 285 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 285 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 71,382 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 7 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.8 h / 7.7 h
What the records say about Lowestoft
285 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Lowestoft (Suffolk) since 2010, across 71,382 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, European Herring Gull and Carrion Crow.
Water shapes this list. 41% of records near Lowestoft are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — European Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull 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 Common Kestrel, Eurasian Marsh-Harrier and Common Buzzard. 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 April and are lowest in September — about 3.6 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.
Hopton, 7 km to the north, has fewer species on record (246 against 285). Birds logged far more often around Lowestoft than there include Little Egret, Gray Heron, Eurasian Wigeon and Northern Lapwing.
Daylight runs from 16 h 50 min at midsummer to 7 h 40 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 5:57 in mid-April and 4:29 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Lowestoft
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 2,881 |
| 2 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 2,633 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,962 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,855 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 1,808 |
| 6 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 1,695 |
| 7 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 1,655 |
| 8 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,580 |
| 9 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,538 |
| 10 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 1,536 |
| 11 | Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus | 1,200 |
| 12 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 1,170 |
| 13 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 1,137 |
| 14 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 1,130 |
| 15 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,123 |
| 16 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 1,103 |
| 17 | Little EgretEgretta garzetta | 1,101 |
| 18 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 1,030 |
| 19 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 1,021 |
| 20 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 999 |
Records by month
What to put out in Lowestoft
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 Lowestoft?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Lowestoft are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Blackbird, Magpie and Starling, based on 71,382 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Lowestoft?
285 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Lowestoft?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in September. Sunrise in late June is around 4:29.
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.