Birds of Sherborne St John
What has actually been seen around Sherborne St John: 168 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 168 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 32,579 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 82 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Sherborne St John
168 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Sherborne St John (Hampshire) since 2010, across 32,579 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon and Blue Tit.
Sherborne St John is a garden-bird place: 61% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blue Tit, Robin and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
13 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite and Common Buzzard.
Records peak in April and are lowest in June — about 2.0 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.
Basingstoke, 4 km to the south-east, has more species on record (178 against 168). Birds logged far more often around Sherborne St John than there include Eurasian Teal, Graylag Goose, Tufted Duck and Gadwall.
Daylight runs from 16 h 36 min at midsummer to 7 h 52 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:11 in mid-April and 4:47 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Sherborne St John
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 1,872 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,454 |
| 3 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,151 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,140 |
| 5 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,111 |
| 6 | Great TitParus major | 996 |
| 7 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 882 |
| 8 | MagpiePica pica | 855 |
| 9 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 834 |
| 10 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 784 |
| 11 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 741 |
| 12 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 718 |
| 13 | NuthatchSitta europaea | 685 |
| 14 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 680 |
| 15 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 613 |
| 16 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 530 |
| 17 | Eurasian TealAnas crecca | 519 |
| 18 | Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major | 514 |
| 19 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 512 |
| 20 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 497 |
Records by month
What to put out in Sherborne St John
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Hampshire
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 Sherborne St John?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Sherborne St John are Woodpigeon, Blue Tit, Robin, Blackbird and Great Tit, based on 32,579 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Sherborne St John?
168 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Sherborne St John?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in June. Sunrise in late June is around 4:47.
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.