Devon · 50.27°N

Birds of Thurlestone

What has actually been seen around Thurlestone: 189 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 189 within 5 km
Observation records: 10,331 since 2010
Most recorded bird: European Herring Gull
Busiest month: April
Elevation: 31 m
Daylight, June / December: 16.4 h / 8 h

What the records say about Thurlestone

189 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Thurlestone (Devon) since 2010, across 10,331 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Woodpigeon and Carrion Crow.

The records split between garden birds (58%) and waterbirds (35%), so a feeder in Thurlestone sees the familiar Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow and Robin, while European Herring Gull and others turn up on nearby water.

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 April and are lowest in December — about 5.1 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.

Malborough, 5 km to the south-east, has more species on record (194 against 189).

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 5:04 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Thurlestone

#	Bird	Records
1	European Herring GullLarus argentatus	471
2	WoodpigeonColumba palumbus	347
3	Carrion CrowCorvus corone	346
4	RobinErithacus rubecula	304
5	JackdawColoeus monedula	281
6	Pied WagtailMotacilla alba	265
7	European StonechatSaxicola rubicola	258
8	House SparrowPasser domesticus	257
9	BlackbirdTurdus merula	256
10	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	250
11	GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis	248
12	Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus	237
13	DunnockPrunella modularis	204
14	Little EgretEgretta garzetta	200
15	WrenTroglodytes troglodytes	200
16	Barn SwallowHirundo rustica	200
17	Canada GooseBranta canadensis	199
18	Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus	190
19	Common LinnetLinaria cannabina	180
20	Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus	172

Records by month

What to put out in Thurlestone

Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.

Woodpigeon
Seed mix
Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
Pied Wagtail
Mealworms
House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms

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 Thurlestone?

The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Thurlestone are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Robin, Jackdaw and Pied Wagtail, based on 10,331 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Thurlestone?

189 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).

When is the best month for birds in Thurlestone?

Observation records peak in April and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 5:04.

Sources

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.