Birds of Shalfleet
What has actually been seen around Shalfleet: 163 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 163 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 10,842 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Black-headed Gull
- Busiest month
- October
- Elevation
- 20 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.5 h / 8 h
What the records say about Shalfleet
163 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Shalfleet (Isle of Wight) since 2010, across 10,842 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Black-headed Gull, Eurasian Curlew and Robin.
Water shapes this list. 45% of records near Shalfleet are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Black-headed Gull, Eurasian Curlew and Little Egret lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Robin is still the most logged garden bird.
15 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel.
Records peak in October and are lowest in April — about 2.6 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.
Yarmouth, 6 km to the west, has more species on record (259 against 163). Birds logged far more often around Shalfleet than there include Great Spotted Woodpecker and Yellowhammer.
Daylight runs from 16 h 30 min at midsummer to 7 h 58 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:13 in mid-April and 4:52 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Shalfleet
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 377 |
| 2 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 337 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 322 |
| 4 | Little EgretEgretta garzetta | 320 |
| 5 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 314 |
| 6 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 303 |
| 7 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 296 |
| 8 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 270 |
| 9 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 267 |
| 10 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 267 |
| 11 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 249 |
| 12 | Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna | 234 |
| 13 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 227 |
| 14 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 218 |
| 15 | Great TitParus major | 206 |
| 16 | BrantBranta bernicla | 195 |
| 17 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 186 |
| 18 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 178 |
| 19 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 170 |
| 20 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 170 |
Records by month
What to put out in Shalfleet
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
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 Shalfleet?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Shalfleet are Robin, Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Blue Tit and Carrion Crow, based on 10,842 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Shalfleet?
163 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Shalfleet?
Observation records peak in October and are lowest in April. Sunrise in late June is around 4:52.
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.