Birds of Ilkeston
What has actually been seen around Ilkeston: 158 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 158 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 39,144 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Blackbird
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 103 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.9 h / 7.6 h
What the records say about Ilkeston
158 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Ilkeston (Derbyshire) since 2010, across 39,144 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Blackbird, Blue Tit and Woodpigeon.
Ilkeston is a garden-bird place: 80% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Blackbird, Blue Tit, Woodpigeon and Goldfinch make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
14 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel 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 September — about 2.4 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.
West Hallam, 3 km to the west, has a similar number of species on record (155 against 158).
Daylight runs from 16 h 56 min at midsummer to 7 h 34 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:08 in mid-April and 4:38 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Ilkeston
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 2,734 |
| 2 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 2,641 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 2,500 |
| 4 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 2,384 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 2,362 |
| 6 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 2,134 |
| 7 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 1,930 |
| 8 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 1,908 |
| 9 | MagpiePica pica | 1,553 |
| 10 | Great TitParus major | 1,535 |
| 11 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 840 |
| 12 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 801 |
| 13 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 667 |
| 14 | GreenfinchChloris chloris | 659 |
| 15 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 653 |
| 16 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 645 |
| 17 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 631 |
| 18 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 624 |
| 19 | BlackcapSylvia atricapilla | 590 |
| 20 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 587 |
Records by month
What to put out in Ilkeston
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Goldfinch
Nyjer seed · Sunflower hearts
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
Seasonal bird notes for Derbyshire
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 Ilkeston?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Ilkeston are Blackbird, Blue Tit, Woodpigeon, Goldfinch and Robin, based on 39,144 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Ilkeston?
158 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Ilkeston?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in September. Sunrise in late June is around 4:38.
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.