Birds of Wheatley
What has actually been seen around Wheatley: 142 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 142 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 39,348 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 79 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Wheatley
142 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Wheatley (Oxfordshire) since 2010, across 39,348 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon and Red Kite.
Wheatley is a garden-bird place: 74% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Magpie, Robin and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
10 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 April and are lowest in July — about 4.0 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.
Garsington, 4 km to the south-west, has fewer species on record (134 against 142).
Daylight runs from 16 h 41 min at midsummer to 7 h 47 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:10 in mid-April and 4:45 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Wheatley
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 2,763 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,397 |
| 3 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 1,340 |
| 4 | MagpiePica pica | 1,259 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,243 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,226 |
| 7 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,211 |
| 8 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,200 |
| 9 | Great TitParus major | 1,164 |
| 10 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,108 |
| 11 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,101 |
| 12 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,045 |
| 13 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 1,031 |
| 14 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 937 |
| 15 | Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis | 896 |
| 16 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 875 |
| 17 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 864 |
| 18 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 857 |
| 19 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 856 |
| 20 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 838 |
Records by month
What to put out in Wheatley
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 Wheatley?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Wheatley are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Robin, Blackbird and Blue Tit, based on 39,348 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Wheatley?
142 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Wheatley?
Observation records peak in April 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.