Birds of Salcombe
What has actually been seen around Salcombe: 182 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 182 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 9,477 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- European Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- August
- Elevation
- 18 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.4 h / 8 h
What the records say about Salcombe
182 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Salcombe (Devon) since 2010, across 9,477 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Woodpigeon and Robin.
Salcombe is a garden-bird place: 68% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Robin, Carrion Crow and European Stonechat make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
12 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 August and are lowest in February — about 9.9 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.
Malborough, 3 km to the west, has more species on record (194 against 182).
Daylight runs from 16 h 25 min at midsummer to 8 h 2 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:23 in mid-April and 5:03 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Salcombe
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 395 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 346 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 321 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 294 |
| 5 | European StonechatSaxicola rubicola | 260 |
| 6 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 250 |
| 7 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 238 |
| 8 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 231 |
| 9 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 230 |
| 10 | Common LinnetLinaria cannabina | 224 |
| 11 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 209 |
| 12 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 201 |
| 13 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 198 |
| 14 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 197 |
| 15 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 197 |
| 16 | Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus | 195 |
| 17 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 194 |
| 18 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 188 |
| 19 | MagpiePica pica | 184 |
| 20 | Cirl BuntingEmberiza cirlus | 180 |
Records by month
What to put out in Salcombe
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 Salcombe?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Salcombe are Woodpigeon, Robin, Carrion Crow, European Stonechat and Barn Swallow, based on 9,477 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Salcombe?
182 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Salcombe?
Observation records peak in August and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 5:03.
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.