Birds of Copthorne
What has actually been seen around Copthorne: 137 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 137 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 21,578 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- March
- Elevation
- 76 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Copthorne
137 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Copthorne (West Sussex) since 2010, across 21,578 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Magpie and Carrion Crow.
Copthorne is a garden-bird place: 62% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Magpie, Carrion Crow and Blue Tit make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Eurasian Sparrowhawk. 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 November — about 2.0 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.
Crawley Down, 4 km to the south-east, has more species on record (161 against 137). Birds logged far more often around Copthorne than there include Rock Pigeon.
Daylight runs from 16 h 34 min at midsummer to 7 h 53 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:07 in mid-April and 4:44 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Copthorne
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,105 |
| 2 | MagpiePica pica | 1,010 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,004 |
| 4 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 816 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 804 |
| 6 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 754 |
| 7 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 747 |
| 8 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 741 |
| 9 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 717 |
| 10 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 679 |
| 11 | Great TitParus major | 618 |
| 12 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 593 |
| 13 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 581 |
| 14 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 515 |
| 15 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 486 |
| 16 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 478 |
| 17 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 472 |
| 18 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 469 |
| 19 | Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus | 446 |
| 20 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 443 |
Records by month
What to put out in Copthorne
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 Copthorne?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Copthorne are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit and Robin, based on 21,578 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Copthorne?
137 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Copthorne?
Observation records peak in March and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:44.
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.