Birds of St Austell
What has actually been seen around St Austell: 156 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 156 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 7,260 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Robin
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 73 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.4 h / 8 h
What the records say about St Austell
156 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of St Austell (Cornwall) since 2010, across 7,260 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Robin, European Herring Gull and Blackbird.
St Austell is a garden-bird place: 67% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Robin, Blackbird, Woodpigeon and Carrion Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
9 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Tawny Owl 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 November — about 4.2 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.
Par, 5 km to the east, has more species on record (177 against 156). Birds logged far more often around St Austell than there include Northern Fulmar, Common Scoter and Arctic Loon.
Daylight runs from 16 h 26 min at midsummer to 8 h 1 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:27 in mid-April and 5:07 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near St Austell
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 431 |
| 2 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 364 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 337 |
| 4 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 285 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 257 |
| 6 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 247 |
| 7 | MagpiePica pica | 232 |
| 8 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 228 |
| 9 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 222 |
| 10 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 213 |
| 11 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 202 |
| 12 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 187 |
| 13 | Great TitParus major | 152 |
| 14 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 140 |
| 15 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 138 |
| 16 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 129 |
| 17 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 118 |
| 18 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 114 |
| 19 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 110 |
| 20 | European ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis | 108 |
Records by month
What to put out in St Austell
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Cornwall
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 St Austell?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of St Austell are Robin, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow and Jackdaw, based on 7,260 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near St Austell?
156 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in St Austell?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 5:07.
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.