Birds of Balcombe
What has actually been seen around Balcombe: 135 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 135 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 13,327 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Robin
- Busiest month
- March
- Elevation
- 101 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Balcombe
135 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Balcombe (West Sussex) since 2010, across 13,327 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Robin, Woodpigeon and Blackbird.
Balcombe is a garden-bird place: 77% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Robin, Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Carrion Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
13 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 March and are lowest in September — about 4.8 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.
Ardingly, 4 km to the east, has a similar number of species on record (131 against 135). Birds logged far more often around Balcombe than there include Common Redpoll.
Daylight runs from 16 h 34 min at midsummer to 7 h 54 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:07 in mid-April and 4:45 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Balcombe
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 650 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 627 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 616 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 560 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 549 |
| 6 | Great TitParus major | 433 |
| 7 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 425 |
| 8 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 399 |
| 9 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 381 |
| 10 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 347 |
| 11 | MagpiePica pica | 341 |
| 12 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 339 |
| 13 | NuthatchSitta europaea | 327 |
| 14 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 324 |
| 15 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 310 |
| 16 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 301 |
| 17 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 260 |
| 18 | Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major | 254 |
| 19 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 250 |
| 20 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 245 |
Records by month
What to put out in Balcombe
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for West Sussex
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 Balcombe?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Balcombe are Robin, Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Carrion Crow and Blue Tit, based on 13,327 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Balcombe?
135 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Balcombe?
Observation records peak in March and are lowest in September. Sunrise in late June is around 4:45.
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.