United Kingdom bird observatory
Holme Bird Observatory
297 bird species recorded; the most in May and from September to October.
Alan Murray-Rust · CC BY-SA 2.0
This month here
170 species in January.165 species in February.162 species in March.201 species in April.212 species in May.159 species in June.158 species in July.184 species in August.221 species in September.223 species in October.187 species in November.151 species in December.
The birds you are most likely to see in the month you choose, those that come for the season first. It opens on today's month.
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NTVUNTNT- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
297 species, counted.
Our own rating, from the records only: species (50 points), threatened species (20), migrants (20) and protected status — Ramsar, IBA, SPA, observatory (10).
- 297Speciesrecorded more than once
- 134Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 16ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 132,454Recordsopen records within 2 km
- 12Raptors
- 5Owls
- 42Waders
- 37Gulls & seabirds
- 42Ducks & geese
- 15Herons, ibises & grebes
- 1Storks & cranes
- 120Songbirds
- 23Other birds
From open records (eBird and others, through GBIF, licensed for any use). More birdwatchers mean more records: a quiet place may have more birds than it shows.
The checklist
All 297 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors12 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
- Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
- Common BuzzardButeo buteo
- Red KiteMilvus milvus
- Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
- European HobbyFalco subbuteo
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
- MerlinFalco columbarius
- White-tailed EagleHaliaeetus albicilla
- OspreyPandion haliaetus
- Rough-legged BuzzardButeo lagopus
Owls5 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Western Barn OwlTyto alba
- Tawny OwlStrix aluco
- Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus
- Little OwlAthene noctua
- Snowy OwlBubo scandiacusVU
Waders42 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- RedshankTringa totanus
- Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquataNT
- Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusNT
- Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusNT
- Bar-tailed godwitLimosa lapponicaNT
- Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
- Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaNT
- SanderlingCalidris alba
- Pied AvocetRecurvirostra avosetta
- DunlinCalidris alpinaNT
- Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
- Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
- Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
- Red KnotCalidris canutusNT
- European Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
- Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
- Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
- RuffCalidris pugnax
- Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
- Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
- Spotted RedshankTringa erythropus
- Wood SandpiperTringa glareola
- Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticola
- Little StintCalidris minuta
- Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimus
- Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaVU
- Marsh SandpiperTringa stagnatilis
- Lesser yellowlegsTringa flavipesVU
- Temminck's StintCalidris temminckii
- Pacific Golden PloverPluvialis fulva
- Collared PratincoleGlareola pratincola
- Purple SandpiperCalidris maritima
- Eurasian DotterelCharadrius morinellus
- Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus
- White-rumped SandpiperCalidris fuscicollisVU
- Great KnotCalidris tenuirostris
- Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotos
- Kentish PloverCharadrius alexandrinus
- Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatus
- Black-winged PratincoleGlareola nordmanniNT
- Broad-billed SandpiperCalidris falcinellusVU
- Long-billed dowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceusNT
Gulls & seabirds37 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
- European Herring GullLarus argentatus
- Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus
- Common GullLarus canus
- Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis
- Northern gannetMorus bassanus
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- Red-throated LoonGavia stellata
- FulmarFulmarus glacialis
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus
- Little TernSternula albifrons
- Arctic SkuaStercorarius parasiticus
- Black-legged kittiwakeRissa tridactylaVU
- Common MurreUria aalge
- Great skuaStercorarius skua
- RazorbillAlca torda
- Common LoonGavia immer
- Little GullHydrocoloeus minutus
- Black-throated DiverGavia arctica
- Arctic TernSterna paradisaea
- Manx ShearwaterPuffinus puffinus
- Pomarine SkuaStercorarius pomarinus
- Black TernChlidonias niger
- Sooty shearwaterPuffinus griseus
- Long-tailed SkuaStercorarius longicaudus
- Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreus
- Little AukAlle alle
- Atlantic PuffinFratercula arcticaVU
- Sabine's GullXema sabini
- Iceland GullLarus glaucoides
- Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellis
- Laughing GullLeucophaeus atricilla
- Scopoli's ShearwaterCalonectris diomedea
- Pontic gullLarus cachinnans
- Black GuillemotCepphus grylle
- Leach's Storm PetrelOceanodroma leucorhoaVU
Ducks & geese42 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna
- Eurasian TealAnas crecca
- Greylag GooseAnser anser
- Brent GooseBranta bernicla
- Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
- Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
- GadwallMareca strepera
- Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchus
- Mute SwanCygnus olor
- Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
- Common ScoterMelanitta nigra
- Canada GooseBranta canadensis
- Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
- Common PochardAythya ferinaVU
- Common EiderSomateria mollissimaNT
- Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiaca
- Northern PintailAnas acuta
- Long-tailed duckClangula hyemalisVU
- GarganeySpatula querquedula
- Common GoldeneyeBucephala clangula
- Velvet scoterMelanitta fuscaVU
- Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsis
- Greater ScaupAythya marila
- Whooper SwanCygnus cygnus
- GoosanderMergus merganser
- Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifrons
- Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensis
- Ferruginous DuckAythya nyrocaNT
- Bar-headed GooseAnser indicus
- Bewick's SwanCygnus columbianus
- Red-breasted GooseBranta ruficollisVU
- Tundra Bean GooseAnser serrirostris
- Ruddy ShelduckTadorna ferruginea
- Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillata
- Red-crested pochardNetta rufina
- Hooded MerganserLophodytes cucullatus
- American WigeonMareca americana
- Taiga Bean GooseAnser fabalis
- Snow gooseAnser caerulescens
- Swan GooseAnser cygnoides
- Cackling GooseBranta hutchinsii
Herons, ibises & grebes15 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea
- Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
- Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
- Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodia
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
- Eurasian BitternBotaurus stellaris
- Horned GrebePodiceps auritusVU
- Red-necked GrebePodiceps grisegena
- ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis
- Eared GrebePodiceps nigricollis
- Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
- Purple heronArdea purpurea
Storks & cranes1 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common CraneGrus grus
Songbirds120 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Eurasian MagpiePica pica
- Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
- Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- European RobinErithacus rubecula
- Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
- Eurasian Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- DunnockPrunella modularis
- White WagtailMotacilla alba
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- Western JackdawColoeus monedula
- European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
- Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone
- Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
- Cetti's WarblerCettia cetti
- Great titParus major
- European GreenfinchChloris chloris
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus
- BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
- Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
- Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
- WhitethroatSylvia communis
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Lesser whitethroatSylvia curruca
- Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
- RedwingTurdus iliacus
- TwiteLinaria flavirostris
- Coal TitPeriparus ater
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
- Eurasian Reed WarblerAcrocephalus scirpaceus
- European Rock PipitAnthus petrosus
- FieldfareTurdus pilaris
- WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
- Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia
- Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
- European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
- Eurasian JayGarrulus glandarius
- Ring OuzelTurdus torquatus
- Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
- Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
- BramblingFringilla montifringilla
- RookCorvus frugilegus
- BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
- Bearded ReedlingPanurus biarmicus
- Common Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naevia
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
- Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalis
- Shore LarkEremophila alpestris
- Red-flanked BluetailTarsiger cyanurus
- YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella
- Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurio
- Garden WarblerSylvia borin
- Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochruros
- Common RedpollAcanthis flammea
- Yellow-browed WarblerPhylloscopus inornatus
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- BluethroatLuscinia svecica
- Pallas's Leaf WarblerPhylloscopus proregulus
- Common FirecrestRegulus ignicapilla
- Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulus
- Barred WarblerSylvia nisoria
- Water PipitAnthus spinoletta
- Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
- Common crossbillLoxia curvirostra
- Red-breasted flycatcherFicedula parva
- Rüppell's WarblerSylvia ruppeli
- Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicus
- Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
- Eastern Subalpine WarblerCurruca cantillans
- Dusky warblerPhylloscopus fuscatus
- Arctic warblerPhylloscopus borealis
- Sardinian WarblerCurruca melanocephala
- Greenish WarblerPhylloscopus trochiloides
- Icterine warblerHippolais icterina
- Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra
- Lanius excubitorLanius excubitor
- Northern RavenCorvus corax
- Yellow-breasted BuntingEmberiza aureolaCR
- Common RosefinchCarpodacus erythrinus
- Ortolan buntingEmberiza hortulana
- Wood WarblerPhylloscopus sibillatrix
- Eurasian TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
- Isabelline ShrikeLanius isabellinus
- Pied WheatearOenanthe pleschanka
- Marsh TitPoecile palustris
- Collared FlycatcherFicedula albicollis
- Desert wheatearOenanthe deserti
- Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaea
- Common NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchos
- Woodchat ShrikeLanius senatorNT
- WoodlarkLullula arborea
- Blyth’s Reed WarblerAcrocephalus dumetorum
- Richard's PipitAnthus richardi
- Common Rock ThrushMonticola saxatilis
- Little BuntingEmberiza pusilla
- Hooded CrowCorvus cornix
- Willow TitPoecile montanus
- Tawny PipitAnthus campestris
- Zitting CisticolaCisticola juncidis
- Lesser Grey ShrikeLanius minor
- Rosy StarlingPastor roseus
- Great Reed WarblerAcrocephalus arundinaceus
- HawfinchCoccothraustes coccothraustes
- Siberian stonechatSaxicola maurus
- Eurasian Golden OrioleOriolus oriolus
- Greater Short-toed LarkCalandrella brachydactyla
- Radde’s warblerPhylloscopus schwarzi
- Parrot CrossbillLoxia pytyopsittacus
- European SerinSerinus serinus
- Pallas's RosefinchCarpodacus roseus
- Western Black-eared WheatearOenanthe hispanica
- Yellow-fronted CanaryCrithagra mozambica
- Junco hyemalisJunco hyemalis
Other birds23 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
- CootFulica atra
- Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus
- Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- Stock DoveColumba oenas
- European SwiftApus apus
- Red-legged PartridgeAlectoris rufaNT
- Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- Common CuckooCuculus canorus
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
- European Turtle DoveStreptopelia turturVU
- Grey PartridgePerdix perdix
- European Water RailRallus aquaticus
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
- Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
- WryneckJynx torquilla
- Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri
- Eurasian HoopoeUpupa epops
- Common QuailCoturnix coturnix
- Spotted CrakePorzana porzana
- Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melba
- Golden PheasantChrysolophus pictus
Monthly presence relative to all bird records that month, so a busy month does not inflate every species.
When to go
The most species in May and from September to October.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan6°/3°62 mm
- Feb7°/3°54 mm
- Mar8°/4°53 mm
- Apr11°/6°41 mm
- May14°/9°56 mm
- Jun17°/12°73 mm
- Jul19°/14°69 mm
- Aug20°/14°73 mm
- Sep17°/12°52 mm
- Oct14°/10°75 mm
- Nov10°/6°71 mm
- Dec7°/4°68 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Holme Bird Observatory.
Bird observatory in the British Isles
Holme Bird Observatory is a bird observatory in United Kingdom.
297 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 132,454 open records.
The most recorded are the Black-headed Gull, the Redshank and the Eurasian Curlew.
70 species come for the summer, 60 for the winter and 4 only pass through.
16 are threatened worldwide, including Grey Plover, Common Pochard and European Turtle Dove.
The most species are recorded in May and from September to October.
Get there and watch
- Official informationAccess, hours and rules from those who manage the place.Official site↗
- Newholm Nurseriescampsite · 1.6 km · 32 within 10 km
- Brook Bungalowplace to stay · 2.1 km · 31 within 10 km
- Hunstantonnearest town · 4.5 km in a straight line
- Norwich Airport (NWI)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 59 km in a straight lineCar hire at NWI airport (Norwich, Norfolk)Discover Cars · sponsored link↗
Plan the visit
A guided walk, a bed nearby, a car.
Some links above are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the data on this page says.
From above
The place and its surroundings.
The satellite image of the 6 × 6 km around the place, with the bird hides, towers and trails that OpenStreetMap shows.
Around, in OpenStreetMap
- 15bird hides within 6 kmNOA Hide, Island Hide, Parrinder Hide and 12 more
- 9marked trails within 4 kmPeddars Way, Norfolk Coast Path, Ringstead Circular Walk and 6 more
- 2visitor centres within 6 kmNWT Holme Dunes Visitor Centre
- 2viewpoints within 5 km
- 11car parks within 3 km
- 4restaurants and cafés within 3 km
- 32campsites within 10 kmNewholm Nurseries, The Lifeboat Caravan Park, Riverside Caravan Park and 29 more
- 31places to stay within 10 kmBrook Bungalow, Sandpiper Cottage, Caley Hall Hotel and 28 more
- observation towers within 6 km
Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit. A low number may just mean nobody has mapped it yet.
In our other atlases
Around Holme Bird Observatory.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Peakyas1 mountains within 25 kmThe Bink · 21 km
Coastya1 beaches within 10 kmBrancaster Bay · 4.3 km
Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.
Photographs
The place, as people saw it.
Other places nearby.
Holme Bird Observatory
United Kingdom
- 90Birdyas Score
- 297Species
- 134Migrants
- 16Threatened
North Norfolk Coast Site of Special Scientific Interest
United Kingdom · 30 km
- 90Birdyas Score
- 363Species
- 189Migrants
- 20Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q5883361) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 132,454 open bird records within 2 km (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY 4.0 only; mostly eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology) |
| See these records | gbif.org |
| Species | GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0; Wikidata (CC0); Wikimedia Commons |
| Altitude | Copernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA |
| Temperature and rain | NASA POWER (CERES SYN1deg, 2001–2020; MERRA-2) |
| What is around | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Images | EOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons |
| Sister atlases | Peakyas, Islandyas, Coastya |
Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.
The family
Do you prefer beaches, lakes, mountains, waterfalls, islands, rivers, canyons, caves, dark skies, viewpoints, birdwatching or forests?
Same idea, other landscapes: field atlases built on open data, in seven languages.
beaches
Find your beach: sea temperature, sun and swimming month by month.Visit 
lakes
Every lake on Earth: water temperature, ice, depth and the shore.Visit mountains
Every summit in 3D: summit weather, the 0 °C line, huts and trails.Visit 
waterfalls
Every waterfall: height, flow month by month and when it roars.Visit 
islands
Every island from the sea up: size, sea temperature, ferries and 3D.Visit 
rivers
Every river from source to sea: the journey, the flow and the basin in numbers.Visit 
canyons
Every canyon cut to scale: depth to the floor, rim and floor temperatures, trails and viewpoints.Visit 
caves
Every cave with its real depth and length: the rock above, the temperature inside all year, and how to visit.Visit 
dark skies
Where the night is still dark: the sky of every place, the Milky Way month by month, the Moon, eclipses and auroras.Visit 
viewpoints
Every viewpoint with its real 360° panorama: the peaks you can name, how far you see and where the sun sets.Coming soonVisit 
birdwatching
Every bird sanctuary and wetland with the species recorded month by month: who is resident, who comes for the summer, who only passes through.You are here
forests
Every forest with its land-cover rings, what grows and lives in it, and the best months to walk it.Coming soonVisit