Birds of Cranleigh
What has actually been seen around Cranleigh: 123 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 123 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 8,636 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 60 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Cranleigh
123 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Cranleigh (Surrey) since 2010, across 8,636 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blue Tit and Robin.
Cranleigh is a garden-bird place: 81% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blue Tit, Robin and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Red Kite 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 April and are lowest in February — about 4.5 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.
Ewhurst, 3 km to the north-east, has fewer species on record (107 against 123). Birds logged far more often around Cranleigh than there include Spotted Flycatcher.
Daylight runs from 16 h 34 min at midsummer to 7 h 53 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:08 in mid-April and 4:46 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Cranleigh
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 296 |
| 2 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 283 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 278 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 277 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 264 |
| 6 | MagpiePica pica | 247 |
| 7 | Great TitParus major | 245 |
| 8 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 244 |
| 9 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 239 |
| 10 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 237 |
| 11 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 231 |
| 12 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 209 |
| 13 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 207 |
| 14 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 203 |
| 15 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 195 |
| 16 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 195 |
| 17 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 179 |
| 18 | Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major | 174 |
| 19 | GoldcrestRegulus regulus | 171 |
| 20 | Stock DoveColumba oenas | 166 |
Records by month
What to put out in Cranleigh
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Surrey
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 Cranleigh?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Cranleigh are Woodpigeon, Blue Tit, Robin, Blackbird and Carrion Crow, based on 8,636 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Cranleigh?
123 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Cranleigh?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 4:46.
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.