Birds of Earl Shilton
What has actually been seen around Earl Shilton: 170 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 170 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 16,281 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 117 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.8 h / 7.6 h
What the records say about Earl Shilton
170 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Earl Shilton (Leicestershire) since 2010, across 16,281 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon and Blackbird.
Earl Shilton is a garden-bird place: 63% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin and Carrion Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
14 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Tawny 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 April and are lowest in December — about 2.9 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.
Stoney Stanton, 4 km to the south-east, has a similar number of species on record (166 against 170). Birds logged far more often around Earl Shilton than there include Eurasian Wigeon, Common Pochard, Eurasian Hobby and Peregrine Falcon.
Daylight runs from 16 h 51 min at midsummer to 7 h 39 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:09 in mid-April and 4:41 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Earl Shilton
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 1,186 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 487 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 394 |
| 4 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 384 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 384 |
| 6 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 367 |
| 7 | RedwingTurdus iliacus | 364 |
| 8 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 361 |
| 9 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 314 |
| 10 | MagpiePica pica | 303 |
| 11 | SwiftApus apus | 298 |
| 12 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 296 |
| 13 | BlackcapSylvia atricapilla | 265 |
| 14 | Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope | 265 |
| 15 | Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus | 259 |
| 16 | Great TitParus major | 258 |
| 17 | Common RavenCorvus corax | 250 |
| 18 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 247 |
| 19 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 239 |
| 20 | Tawny OwlStrix aluco | 233 |
Records by month
What to put out in Earl Shilton
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Leicestershire
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 Earl Shilton?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Earl Shilton are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin, Carrion Crow and Redwing, based on 16,281 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Earl Shilton?
170 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Earl Shilton?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:41.
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.