Birds of Watlington
What has actually been seen around Watlington: 101 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 101 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 7,293 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Busiest month
- October
- Elevation
- 109 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Watlington
101 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Watlington (Oxfordshire) since 2010, across 7,293 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Lesser Black-backed Gull, Red Kite and Woodpigeon.
Water shapes this list. 52% of records near Watlington are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Lesser Black-backed Gull, Mallard and Black-headed Gull lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.
8 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Common Buzzard 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 October and are lowest in July — about 8.2 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.
Chalgrove, 6 km to the north-west, has fewer species on record (90 against 101). Birds logged far more often around Watlington than there include Red Kite, Common Buzzard, Coal Tit and Nuthatch.
Daylight runs from 16 h 40 min at midsummer to 7 h 48 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:09 in mid-April and 4:45 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Watlington
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 3,709 |
| 2 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 394 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 179 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 146 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 144 |
| 6 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 142 |
| 7 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 142 |
| 8 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 140 |
| 9 | Great TitParus major | 126 |
| 10 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 119 |
| 11 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 109 |
| 12 | MagpiePica pica | 98 |
| 13 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 98 |
| 14 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 81 |
| 15 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 79 |
| 16 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 71 |
| 17 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 70 |
| 18 | NuthatchSitta europaea | 67 |
| 19 | Common RavenCorvus corax | 66 |
| 20 | GoldcrestRegulus regulus | 65 |
Records by month
What to put out in Watlington
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Oxfordshire
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 Watlington?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Watlington are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit and Robin, based on 7,293 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Watlington?
101 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Watlington?
Observation records peak in October and are lowest in July. Sunrise in late June is around 4:45.
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.