Birds of Southwold
What has actually been seen around Southwold: 281 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 281 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 84,853 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 12 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.8 h / 7.7 h
What the records say about Southwold
281 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Southwold (Suffolk) since 2010, across 84,853 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Lesser Black-backed Gull, European Herring Gull and Black-headed Gull.
Water shapes this list. 49% of records near Southwold are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Lesser Black-backed Gull, European Herring Gull and Black-headed 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 Eurasian Marsh-Harrier, Common Kestrel and Common Buzzard.
Records peak in April and are lowest in February — about 3.3 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.
Wrentham, 6 km to the north, has fewer species on record (261 against 281). Birds logged far more often around Southwold than there include Common Redshank, Common Shelduck, Eurasian Curlew and Ruddy Turnstone.
Daylight runs from 16 h 48 min at midsummer to 7 h 41 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 5:57 in mid-April and 4:30 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Southwold
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 3,938 |
| 2 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 2,198 |
| 3 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 2,134 |
| 4 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,820 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,662 |
| 6 | Little EgretEgretta garzetta | 1,567 |
| 7 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 1,530 |
| 8 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 1,409 |
| 9 | MagpiePica pica | 1,342 |
| 10 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 1,283 |
| 11 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 1,274 |
| 12 | Eurasian TealAnas crecca | 1,263 |
| 13 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 1,261 |
| 14 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,228 |
| 15 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 1,226 |
| 16 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,212 |
| 17 | Graylag GooseAnser anser | 1,185 |
| 18 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,178 |
| 19 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,169 |
| 20 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,142 |
Records by month
What to put out in Southwold
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Pied Wagtail
Mealworms
- Starling
Suet · Mealworms
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
- Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
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 Southwold?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Southwold are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Pied Wagtail, Magpie and Starling, based on 84,853 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Southwold?
281 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Southwold?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 4:30.
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.