Birds of Needham Market
What has actually been seen around Needham Market: 170 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 170 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 25,317 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 25 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.8 h / 7.7 h
What the records say about Needham Market
170 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Needham Market (Suffolk) since 2010, across 25,317 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Lesser Black-backed Gull and Jackdaw.
The records split between garden birds (58%) and waterbirds (36%), so a feeder in Needham Market sees the familiar Woodpigeon, Jackdaw and Blackbird, while Lesser Black-backed Gull and others turn up on nearby water.
10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Eurasian Sparrowhawk. 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 November — about 3.2 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.
Coddenham, 5 km to the east, has fewer species on record (165 against 170).
Daylight runs from 16 h 46 min at midsummer to 7 h 43 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 Needham Market
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 701 |
| 2 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 673 |
| 3 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 626 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 624 |
| 5 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 615 |
| 6 | MagpiePica pica | 583 |
| 7 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 576 |
| 8 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 572 |
| 9 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 561 |
| 10 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 547 |
| 11 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 538 |
| 12 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 533 |
| 13 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 521 |
| 14 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 514 |
| 15 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 492 |
| 16 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 472 |
| 17 | Great TitParus major | 462 |
| 18 | Graylag GooseAnser anser | 456 |
| 19 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 452 |
| 20 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 451 |
Records by month
What to put out in Needham Market
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 Needham Market?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Needham Market are Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Blackbird, Magpie and Robin, based on 25,317 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Needham Market?
170 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Needham Market?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in November. 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.