Birds of South Zeal
What has actually been seen around South Zeal: 84 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 84 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 1,171 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Blackbird
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 195 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.5 h / 8 h
What the records say about South Zeal
84 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of South Zeal (Devon) since 2010, across 1,171 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Blackbird, Carrion Crow and Robin.
South Zeal is a garden-bird place: 86% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Robin and Magpie make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
8 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Barn 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 May and are lowest in September — about 7.6 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.
Okehampton, 6 km to the west, has more species on record (114 against 84).
Daylight runs from 16 h 30 min at midsummer to 7 h 58 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 South Zeal
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 60 |
| 2 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 60 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 58 |
| 4 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 49 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 49 |
| 6 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 46 |
| 7 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 44 |
| 8 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 40 |
| 9 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 40 |
| 10 | SwiftApus apus | 36 |
| 11 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 33 |
| 12 | Great TitParus major | 27 |
| 13 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 26 |
| 14 | Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis | 25 |
| 15 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 25 |
| 16 | European StonechatSaxicola rubicola | 24 |
| 17 | NuthatchSitta europaea | 23 |
| 18 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 19 |
| 19 | Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensis | 19 |
| 20 | GoldcrestRegulus regulus | 18 |
Records by month
What to put out in South Zeal
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 South Zeal?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of South Zeal are Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Robin, Magpie and Woodpigeon, based on 1,171 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near South Zeal?
84 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in South Zeal?
Observation records peak in May 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.