Birds of Great Torrington
What has actually been seen around Great Torrington: 97 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 97 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 2,877 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Robin
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 99 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.5 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Great Torrington
97 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Great Torrington (Devon) since 2010, across 2,877 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Robin, Blackbird and Blue Tit.
Great Torrington is a garden-bird place: 85% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Robin, Blackbird, Blue Tit and Chaffinch make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
7 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Eurasian Sparrowhawk and Tawny Owl. 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 2.9 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.
Merton, 8 km to the south, has more species on record (104 against 97).
Daylight runs from 16 h 32 min at midsummer to 7 h 55 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:23 in mid-April and 5:01 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Great Torrington
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 245 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 199 |
| 3 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 128 |
| 4 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 120 |
| 5 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 118 |
| 6 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 117 |
| 7 | Great TitParus major | 99 |
| 8 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 91 |
| 9 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 85 |
| 10 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 81 |
| 11 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 78 |
| 12 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 77 |
| 13 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 70 |
| 14 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 70 |
| 15 | NuthatchSitta europaea | 68 |
| 16 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 67 |
| 17 | GreenfinchChloris chloris | 59 |
| 18 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 54 |
| 19 | SiskinSpinus spinus | 53 |
| 20 | Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major | 51 |
Records by month
What to put out in Great Torrington
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Devon
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 Great Torrington?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Great Torrington are Robin, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Chaffinch and Woodpigeon, based on 2,877 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Great Torrington?
97 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Great Torrington?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in September. Sunrise in late June is around 5:01.
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.