Birds of Pirton
What has actually been seen around Pirton: 132 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 132 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 13,398 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 79 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.7 h
What the records say about Pirton
132 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Pirton (Hertfordshire) since 2010, across 13,398 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon and Carrion Crow.
Pirton is a garden-bird place: 69% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Robin and Magpie make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
11 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel. 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 April and are lowest in November — about 3.7 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.
Shillington, 3 km to the north-west, has fewer species on record (125 against 132).
Daylight runs from 16 h 44 min at midsummer to 7 h 45 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:06 in mid-April and 4:40 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Pirton
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 878 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 701 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 528 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 506 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 503 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 480 |
| 7 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 476 |
| 8 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 434 |
| 9 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 390 |
| 10 | Great TitParus major | 346 |
| 11 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 326 |
| 12 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 317 |
| 13 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 317 |
| 14 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 311 |
| 15 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 306 |
| 16 | SwiftApus apus | 301 |
| 17 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 286 |
| 18 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 261 |
| 19 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 251 |
| 20 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 244 |
Records by month
What to put out in Pirton
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Hertfordshire
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 Pirton?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Pirton are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Robin, Magpie and Blackbird, based on 13,398 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Pirton?
132 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Pirton?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:40.
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.