Birds of Chalton
What has actually been seen around Chalton: 130 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 130 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 8,549 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Busiest month
- August
- Elevation
- 108 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Chalton
130 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Chalton (Central Bedfordshire) since 2010, across 8,549 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon and Magpie.
Water shapes this list. 55% of records near Chalton are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Lesser Black-backed Gull, European Herring Gull and Black-headed Gull lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.
10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel. 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 August and are lowest in November — about 7.8 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.
Toddington, 3 km to the north-west, has a similar number of species on record (129 against 130).
Daylight runs from 16 h 43 min at midsummer to 7 h 45 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:07 in mid-April and 4:41 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Chalton
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 3,809 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 287 |
| 3 | MagpiePica pica | 276 |
| 4 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 217 |
| 5 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 214 |
| 6 | SwiftApus apus | 211 |
| 7 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 183 |
| 8 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 169 |
| 9 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 166 |
| 10 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 157 |
| 11 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 121 |
| 12 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 120 |
| 13 | Great TitParus major | 113 |
| 14 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 105 |
| 15 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 104 |
| 16 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 99 |
| 17 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 96 |
| 18 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 91 |
| 19 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 87 |
| 20 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 87 |
Records by month
What to put out in Chalton
Seasonal bird notes for Central Bedfordshire
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 Chalton?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Chalton are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Starling, Carrion Crow and Robin, based on 8,549 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Chalton?
130 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Chalton?
Observation records peak in August and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:41.
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.