Birds of Rookley
What has actually been seen around Rookley: 116 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 116 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 1,768 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Robin
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 57 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.5 h / 8 h
What the records say about Rookley
116 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Rookley (Isle of Wight) since 2010, across 1,768 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Robin, Swift and Woodpigeon.
Rookley is a garden-bird place: 66% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Robin, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Barn Owl. 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 May and are lowest in February — about 3.9 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.
Godshill, 3 km to the south-east, has more species on record (124 against 116).
Daylight runs from 16 h 29 min at midsummer to 7 h 58 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:12 in mid-April and 4:51 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Rookley
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 95 |
| 2 | SwiftApus apus | 89 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 86 |
| 4 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 79 |
| 5 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 74 |
| 6 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 71 |
| 7 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 61 |
| 8 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 61 |
| 9 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 61 |
| 10 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 55 |
| 11 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 44 |
| 12 | Great TitParus major | 44 |
| 13 | MagpiePica pica | 42 |
| 14 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 42 |
| 15 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 41 |
| 16 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 39 |
| 17 | Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus | 36 |
| 18 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 36 |
| 19 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 34 |
| 20 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 31 |
Records by month
What to put out in Rookley
Seasonal bird notes for Isle of Wight
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 Rookley?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Rookley are Robin, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Blackbird and Blue Tit, based on 1,768 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Rookley?
116 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Rookley?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 4:51.
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.