Birds of Topsham
What has actually been seen around Topsham: 231 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 231 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 83,584 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 10 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.5 h / 8 h
What the records say about Topsham
231 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Topsham (Devon) since 2010, across 83,584 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Mallard and Robin.
Water shapes this list. 55% of records near Topsham are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Mallard, Little Egret and Canada Goose lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.
14 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel.
Records peak in January and are lowest in July — about 2.9 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.
Woodbury, 5 km to the east, has a similar number of species on record (228 against 231).
Daylight runs from 16 h 30 min at midsummer to 7 h 58 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:21 in mid-April and 5:00 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Topsham
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 2,313 |
| 2 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 2,146 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 2,038 |
| 4 | Little EgretEgretta garzetta | 2,035 |
| 5 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 2,035 |
| 6 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 2,005 |
| 7 | MagpiePica pica | 1,984 |
| 8 | Eurasian TealAnas crecca | 1,876 |
| 9 | Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosa | 1,856 |
| 10 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 1,852 |
| 11 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,836 |
| 12 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 1,813 |
| 13 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 1,794 |
| 14 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 1,789 |
| 15 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 1,783 |
| 16 | Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope | 1,657 |
| 17 | Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna | 1,641 |
| 18 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,627 |
| 19 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 1,604 |
| 20 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 1,498 |
Records by month
What to put out in Topsham
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 Topsham?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Topsham are Woodpigeon, Robin, Carrion Crow, Magpie and Blackbird, based on 83,584 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Topsham?
231 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Topsham?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in July. 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.