Birds of Shillington
What has actually been seen around Shillington: 125 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 125 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 11,519 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 54 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.7 h
What the records say about Shillington
125 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Shillington (Central Bedfordshire) since 2010, across 11,519 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon and Carrion Crow.
Shillington is a garden-bird place: 76% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Robin and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
11 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 April and are lowest in February — about 3.9 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.
Pirton, 3 km to the south-east, has more species on record (132 against 125).
Daylight runs from 16 h 44 min at midsummer to 7 h 45 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:06 in mid-April and 4:40 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Shillington
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 683 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 530 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 487 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 470 |
| 5 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 418 |
| 6 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 418 |
| 7 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 417 |
| 8 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 412 |
| 9 | MagpiePica pica | 411 |
| 10 | Great TitParus major | 350 |
| 11 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 338 |
| 12 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 323 |
| 13 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 321 |
| 14 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 319 |
| 15 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 295 |
| 16 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 277 |
| 17 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 267 |
| 18 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 251 |
| 19 | Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensis | 227 |
| 20 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 211 |
Records by month
What to put out in Shillington
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
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 Shillington?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Shillington are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Robin, Blackbird and Blue Tit, based on 11,519 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Shillington?
125 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Shillington?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 4:40.
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.