Birds of Thornhill
What has actually been seen around Thornhill: 208 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 208 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 152,844 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 120 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Thornhill
208 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Thornhill (Cardiff) since 2010, across 152,844 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blue Tit and Blackbird.
Thornhill is a garden-bird place: 74% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blue Tit, Blackbird and Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
17 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard 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 January and are lowest in August — 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.
Whitchurch, 4 km to the south-west, has more species on record (227 against 208).
Daylight runs from 16 h 39 min at midsummer to 7 h 49 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:18 in mid-April and 4:54 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Thornhill
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 7,266 |
| 2 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 7,189 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 6,964 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 6,565 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 6,108 |
| 6 | Great TitParus major | 5,865 |
| 7 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 4,887 |
| 8 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 4,871 |
| 9 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 4,506 |
| 10 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 4,291 |
| 11 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 4,290 |
| 12 | Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major | 4,269 |
| 13 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 4,110 |
| 14 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 3,795 |
| 15 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 3,713 |
| 16 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 3,437 |
| 17 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 3,343 |
| 18 | NuthatchSitta europaea | 2,749 |
| 19 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 2,700 |
| 20 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 2,322 |
Records by month
What to put out in Thornhill
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- Great Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts · Suet
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
Seasonal bird notes for Cardiff
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 Thornhill?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Thornhill are Woodpigeon, Blue Tit, Blackbird, Robin and Magpie, based on 152,844 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Thornhill?
208 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Thornhill?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in August. Sunrise in late June is around 4:54.
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.