Birds of Sandford
What has actually been seen around Sandford: 109 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 109 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 4,050 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Blue Tit
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 79 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.5 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Sandford
109 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Sandford (Devon) since 2010, across 4,050 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Blue Tit, Robin and Blackbird.
Sandford is a garden-bird place: 71% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Blue Tit, Robin, Blackbird and Woodpigeon make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
10 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 October — about 6.8 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.
Crediton, 3 km to the south, has more species on record (114 against 109).
Daylight runs from 16 h 31 min at midsummer to 7 h 57 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:22 in mid-April and 5:00 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Sandford
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 205 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 191 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 190 |
| 4 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 190 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 148 |
| 6 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 132 |
| 7 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 130 |
| 8 | Great TitParus major | 130 |
| 9 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 119 |
| 10 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 118 |
| 11 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 113 |
| 12 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 112 |
| 13 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 108 |
| 14 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 96 |
| 15 | SwiftApus apus | 91 |
| 16 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 86 |
| 17 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 85 |
| 18 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 83 |
| 19 | Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major | 82 |
| 20 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 79 |
Records by month
What to put out in Sandford
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
- Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
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 Sandford?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Sandford are Blue Tit, Robin, Blackbird, Woodpigeon and Carrion Crow, based on 4,050 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Sandford?
109 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Sandford?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in October. Sunrise in late June is around 5:00.
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.