Birds of Tollesbury
What has actually been seen around Tollesbury: 204 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 204 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 32,278 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Black-headed Gull
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 25 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Tollesbury
204 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Tollesbury (Essex) since 2010, across 32,278 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Black-headed Gull, Woodpigeon and Northern Lapwing.
Water shapes this list. 54% of records near Tollesbury are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Black-headed Gull, Northern Lapwing and Little Egret lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.
15 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Eurasian Marsh-Harrier, Common Kestrel and Common Buzzard.
Records peak in January and are lowest in October — about 2.1 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.
Goldhanger, 6 km to the west, has fewer species on record (184 against 204). Birds logged far more often around Tollesbury than there include Eurasian Marsh-Harrier.
Daylight runs from 16 h 41 min at midsummer to 7 h 47 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:02 in mid-April and 4:37 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Tollesbury
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 706 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 647 |
| 3 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 641 |
| 4 | Little EgretEgretta garzetta | 640 |
| 5 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 636 |
| 6 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 609 |
| 7 | Eurasian Marsh-HarrierCircus aeruginosus | 603 |
| 8 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 602 |
| 9 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 586 |
| 10 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 582 |
| 11 | MagpiePica pica | 580 |
| 12 | Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna | 556 |
| 13 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 532 |
| 14 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 530 |
| 15 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 518 |
| 16 | Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus | 507 |
| 17 | Graylag GooseAnser anser | 488 |
| 18 | Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus | 473 |
| 19 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 469 |
| 20 | BrantBranta bernicla | 468 |
Records by month
What to put out in Tollesbury
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Starling
Suet · Mealworms
- Pied Wagtail
Mealworms
- Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
Seasonal bird notes for Essex
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 Tollesbury?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Tollesbury are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Starling and Common Reed Bunting, based on 32,278 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Tollesbury?
204 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Tollesbury?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in October. Sunrise in late June is around 4:37.
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.