Birds of Ratby
What has actually been seen around Ratby: 199 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 199 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 59,274 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 101 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.9 h / 7.6 h
What the records say about Ratby
199 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Ratby (Leicestershire) since 2010, across 59,274 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Robin and Mallard.
The records split between garden birds (59%) and waterbirds (32%), so a feeder in Ratby sees the familiar Woodpigeon, Robin and Blackbird, while Mallard and others turn up on nearby water.
12 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Eurasian Sparrowhawk 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 December — about 1.9 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.
Glenfield, 3 km to the east, has fewer species on record (192 against 199). Birds logged far more often around Ratby than there include Great Crested Grebe, Yellowhammer and Mandarin Duck.
Daylight runs from 16 h 52 min at midsummer to 7 h 38 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:08 in mid-April and 4:40 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Ratby
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,978 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,869 |
| 3 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 1,709 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,675 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,650 |
| 6 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,581 |
| 7 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 1,466 |
| 8 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 1,360 |
| 9 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,346 |
| 10 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,317 |
| 11 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 1,303 |
| 12 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 1,256 |
| 13 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,162 |
| 14 | Great TitParus major | 1,159 |
| 15 | MagpiePica pica | 1,096 |
| 16 | Tufted DuckAythya fuligula | 1,014 |
| 17 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 968 |
| 18 | Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus | 964 |
| 19 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 928 |
| 20 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 917 |
Records by month
What to put out in Ratby
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 Ratby?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Ratby are Woodpigeon, Robin, Blackbird, Carrion Crow and Blue Tit, based on 59,274 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Ratby?
199 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Ratby?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in December. 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.