Birds of Birdham
What has actually been seen around Birdham: 231 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 231 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 75,152 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Black-headed Gull
- Busiest month
- August
- Elevation
- 5 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.5 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Birdham
231 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Birdham (West Sussex) since 2010, across 75,152 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Black-headed Gull, Woodpigeon and Mallard.
Water shapes this list. 50% of records near Birdham are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Black-headed Gull, Mallard and Little Egret lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.
16 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel.
Records peak in August and are lowest in December — about 2.6 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.
Bosham, 4 km to the north-west, has fewer species on record (192 against 231). Birds logged far more often around Birdham than there include Pied Avocet, Northern Shoveler and Common Sandpiper.
Daylight runs from 16 h 31 min at midsummer to 7 h 57 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:10 in mid-April and 4:49 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Birdham
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 2,184 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 2,097 |
| 3 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 1,751 |
| 4 | Little EgretEgretta garzetta | 1,741 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,659 |
| 6 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 1,572 |
| 7 | Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna | 1,555 |
| 8 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 1,499 |
| 9 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 1,485 |
| 10 | MagpiePica pica | 1,437 |
| 11 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,416 |
| 12 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,410 |
| 13 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 1,359 |
| 14 | Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosa | 1,341 |
| 15 | Eurasian TealAnas crecca | 1,311 |
| 16 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 1,299 |
| 17 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,295 |
| 18 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,264 |
| 19 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 1,203 |
| 20 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 1,179 |
Records by month
What to put out in Birdham
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 Birdham?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Birdham are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Robin and Blackbird, based on 75,152 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Birdham?
231 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Birdham?
Observation records peak in August and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:49.
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.