Birds of Woolacombe
What has actually been seen around Woolacombe: 128 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 128 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 4,344 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- European Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 35 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Woolacombe
128 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Woolacombe (Devon) since 2010, across 4,344 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Mediterranean Gull and European Stonechat.
Woolacombe is a garden-bird place: 73% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. European Stonechat, Jackdaw, Robin and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
9 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 May and are lowest in November — about 18.1 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.
Croyde, 5 km to the south, has more species on record (136 against 128).
Daylight runs from 16 h 35 min at midsummer to 7 h 53 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:23 in mid-April and 5:00 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Woolacombe
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 204 |
| 2 | Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus | 177 |
| 3 | European StonechatSaxicola rubicola | 161 |
| 4 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 155 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 151 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 143 |
| 7 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 134 |
| 8 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 121 |
| 9 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 118 |
| 10 | MagpiePica pica | 108 |
| 11 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 107 |
| 12 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 105 |
| 13 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 104 |
| 14 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 104 |
| 15 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 98 |
| 16 | Common LinnetLinaria cannabina | 95 |
| 17 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 94 |
| 18 | Great TitParus major | 84 |
| 19 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 82 |
| 20 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 79 |
Records by month
What to put out in Woolacombe
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 Woolacombe?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Woolacombe are European Stonechat, Jackdaw, Robin, Blackbird and Carrion Crow, based on 4,344 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Woolacombe?
128 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Woolacombe?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in November. 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.