Birds of Portesham
What has actually been seen around Portesham: 227 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 227 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 13,373 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Mute Swan
- Busiest month
- September
- Elevation
- 75 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.5 h / 8 h
What the records say about Portesham
227 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Portesham (Dorset) since 2010, across 13,373 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Mute Swan, Common Pheasant and Woodpigeon.
Water shapes this list. 45% of records near Portesham are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Mute Swan, Mallard and European Herring Gull lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.
17 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Eurasian Marsh-Harrier.
Records peak in September and are lowest in March — 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.
Winterbourne Abbas, 5 km to the north, has fewer species on record (123 against 227). Birds logged far more often around Portesham than there include Canada Goose, Eurasian Coot, Tufted Duck and Great Cormorant.
Daylight runs from 16 h 29 min at midsummer to 7 h 58 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:17 in mid-April and 4:56 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Portesham
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 365 |
| 2 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 306 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 294 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 274 |
| 5 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 271 |
| 6 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 269 |
| 7 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 268 |
| 8 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 262 |
| 9 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 258 |
| 10 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 254 |
| 11 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 249 |
| 12 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 233 |
| 13 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 231 |
| 14 | Tufted DuckAythya fuligula | 229 |
| 15 | Little EgretEgretta garzetta | 224 |
| 16 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 223 |
| 17 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 221 |
| 18 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 215 |
| 19 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 211 |
| 20 | Great TitParus major | 197 |
Records by month
What to put out in Portesham
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
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 Portesham?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Portesham are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Robin, Blackbird and Jackdaw, based on 13,373 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Portesham?
227 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Portesham?
Observation records peak in September and are lowest in March. Sunrise in late June is around 4:56.
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.