Birds of Shilbottle
What has actually been seen around Shilbottle: 181 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 181 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 4,886 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 126 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.5 h / 7.1 h
What the records say about Shilbottle
181 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Shilbottle (Northumberland) since 2010, across 4,886 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Jackdaw and Blackbird.
Water shapes this list. 41% of records near Shilbottle are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Mallard, Black-headed Gull and Northern Lapwing lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.
12 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Eurasian Sparrowhawk. 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 December — about 7.2 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.
Alnwick, 5 km to the north, has fewer species on record (142 against 181). Birds logged far more often around Shilbottle than there include Eurasian Curlew, Common Redshank, Little Egret and Mute Swan.
Daylight runs from 17 h 28 min at midsummer to 7 h 5 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:04 in mid-April and 4:24 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Shilbottle
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 212 |
| 2 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 174 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 167 |
| 4 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 139 |
| 5 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 133 |
| 6 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 123 |
| 7 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 109 |
| 8 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 108 |
| 9 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 101 |
| 10 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 96 |
| 11 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 95 |
| 12 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 94 |
| 13 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 89 |
| 14 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 88 |
| 15 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 86 |
| 16 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 85 |
| 17 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 85 |
| 18 | Graylag GooseAnser anser | 84 |
| 19 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 82 |
| 20 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 80 |
Records by month
What to put out in Shilbottle
Seasonal bird notes for Northumberland
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 Shilbottle?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Shilbottle are Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Blackbird, Carrion Crow and Robin, based on 4,886 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Shilbottle?
181 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Shilbottle?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:24.
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.