Birds of Crawley Down
What has actually been seen around Crawley Down: 161 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 161 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 37,158 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 118 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Crawley Down
161 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Crawley Down (West Sussex) since 2010, across 37,158 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Robin and Blue Tit.
Crawley Down is a garden-bird place: 61% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Robin, Blue Tit and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
11 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel.
Records peak in January and are lowest in October — about 1.9 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.
Copthorne, 4 km to the north-west, has fewer species on record (137 against 161). Birds logged far more often around Crawley Down than there include Mandarin Duck, Marsh Tit, Tufted Duck and Northern Lapwing.
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 4:44 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Crawley Down
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,764 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,526 |
| 3 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,432 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,366 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 1,280 |
| 6 | Great TitParus major | 1,219 |
| 7 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,209 |
| 8 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 1,079 |
| 9 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,029 |
| 10 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,023 |
| 11 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 980 |
| 12 | Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus | 962 |
| 13 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 914 |
| 14 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 828 |
| 15 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 801 |
| 16 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 780 |
| 17 | Graylag GooseAnser anser | 728 |
| 18 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 667 |
| 19 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 654 |
| 20 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 646 |
Records by month
What to put out in Crawley Down
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 Crawley Down?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Crawley Down are Woodpigeon, Robin, Blue Tit, Blackbird and Magpie, based on 37,158 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Crawley Down?
161 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Crawley Down?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in October. 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.