Birds of Tavistock
What has actually been seen around Tavistock: 87 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 87 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 1,092 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Swift
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 85 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.5 h / 8 h
What the records say about Tavistock
87 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Tavistock (Devon) since 2010, across 1,092 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Swift, Jackdaw and Robin.
Tavistock is a garden-bird place: 76% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Jackdaw, Robin, Blue Tit and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
7 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard 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 May and are lowest in November — about 25.1 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.
Lamerton, 4 km to the north-west, has fewer species on record (69 against 87).
Daylight runs from 16 h 28 min at midsummer to 7 h 59 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:24 in mid-April and 5:03 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Tavistock
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SwiftApus apus | 60 |
| 2 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 56 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 52 |
| 4 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 50 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 49 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 49 |
| 7 | White-throated DipperCinclus cinclus | 42 |
| 8 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 42 |
| 9 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 39 |
| 10 | MagpiePica pica | 32 |
| 11 | Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea | 29 |
| 12 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 29 |
| 13 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 28 |
| 14 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 23 |
| 15 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 23 |
| 16 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 22 |
| 17 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 21 |
| 18 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 21 |
| 19 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 21 |
| 20 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 19 |
Records by month
What to put out in Tavistock
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 Tavistock?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Tavistock are Jackdaw, Robin, Blue Tit, Blackbird and White-throated Dipper, based on 1,092 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Tavistock?
87 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Tavistock?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in November. 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.