Warwickshire · 52.37°N

Birds of Rugby

What has actually been seen around Rugby: 133 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 133 within 5 km
Observation records: 7,639 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Lesser Black-backed Gull
Busiest month: October
Elevation: 120 m
Daylight, June / December: 16.8 h / 7.7 h

What the records say about Rugby

133 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Rugby (Warwickshire) since 2010, across 7,639 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Lesser Black-backed Gull, Robin and Blackbird.

Water shapes this list. 56% of records near Rugby are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Lesser Black-backed Gull, Caspian Gull and Northern Lapwing lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Robin is still the most logged garden bird.

11 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Common Buzzard 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 October and are lowest in December — about 2.7 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.

Long Lawford, 3 km to the west, has fewer species on record (105 against 133). Birds logged far more often around Rugby than there include Caspian Gull, Northern Lapwing, Tufted Duck and Great Black-backed Gull.

Daylight runs from 16 h 49 min at midsummer to 7 h 41 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:09 in mid-April and 4:42 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Rugby

#	Bird	Records
1	Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus	2,588
2	RobinErithacus rubecula	243
3	BlackbirdTurdus merula	233
4	WoodpigeonColumba palumbus	214
5	MagpiePica pica	208
6	Caspian GullLarus cachinnans	207
7	Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus	182
8	SwiftApus apus	177
9	GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis	167
10	Carrion CrowCorvus corone	143
11	House SparrowPasser domesticus	133
12	JackdawColoeus monedula	125
13	Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus	124
14	StarlingSturnus vulgaris	114
15	European Herring GullLarus argentatus	111
16	Great TitParus major	110
17	Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus	100
18	DunnockPrunella modularis	92
19	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	91
20	Tufted DuckAythya fuligula	89

Records by month

What to put out in Rugby

Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.

Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
Woodpigeon
Seed mix
Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
Goldfinch
Nyjer seed · Sunflower hearts
House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet

Seasonal bird notes for Warwickshire

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 Rugby?

The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Rugby are Robin, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Magpie and Blue Tit, based on 7,639 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Rugby?

133 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).

When is the best month for birds in Rugby?

Observation records peak in October and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:42.

Sources

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.