Dorset · 51.04°N

Birds of Gillingham

What has actually been seen around Gillingham: 95 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 95 within 5 km
Observation records: 2,099 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Woodpigeon
Busiest month: October
Elevation: 73 m
Daylight, June / December: 16.6 h / 7.9 h

What the records say about Gillingham

95 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Gillingham (Dorset) since 2010, across 2,099 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Jackdaw and Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Gillingham is a garden-bird place: 82% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Blackbird and House Sparrow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

7 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel, Common Buzzard and Red Kite. 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 October and are lowest in September — about 35.7 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.

East Stour, 4 km to the south, has more species on record (103 against 95).

Daylight runs from 16 h 33 min at midsummer to 7 h 54 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:16 in mid-April and 4:53 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Gillingham

#	Bird	Records
1	WoodpigeonColumba palumbus	164
2	JackdawColoeus monedula	126
3	Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus	123
4	BlackbirdTurdus merula	100
5	House SparrowPasser domesticus	100
6	Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus	92
7	GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis	84
8	MagpiePica pica	78
9	Carrion CrowCorvus corone	78
10	RobinErithacus rubecula	76
11	StarlingSturnus vulgaris	68
12	RookCorvus frugilegus	58
13	Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus	54
14	House MartinDelichon urbicum	49
15	WrenTroglodytes troglodytes	49
16	Great TitParus major	45
17	Isabelline ShrikeLanius isabellinus	44
18	Common BuzzardButeo buteo	39
19	Barn SwallowHirundo rustica	34
20	ChaffinchFringilla coelebs	31

Records by month

What to put out in Gillingham

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

Woodpigeon
Seed mix
Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
Goldfinch
Nyjer seed · Sunflower hearts

Seasonal bird notes for Dorset

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 Gillingham?

The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Gillingham are Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Blackbird, House Sparrow and Blue Tit, based on 2,099 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Gillingham?

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

When is the best month for birds in Gillingham?

Observation records peak in October and are lowest in September. Sunrise in late June is around 4:53.

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.