Birds of Plymstock
What has actually been seen around Plymstock: 195 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 195 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 40,271 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- European Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 27 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.4 h / 8 h
What the records say about Plymstock
195 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Plymstock (Plymouth) since 2010, across 40,271 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Carrion Crow and Woodpigeon.
The records split between garden birds (56%) and waterbirds (39%), so a feeder in Plymstock sees the familiar Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon and Magpie, while European Herring Gull and others turn up on nearby water.
10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard.
Records peak in January and are lowest in June — 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.
Plymouth, 4 km to the west, has more species on record (203 against 195).
Daylight runs from 16 h 26 min at midsummer to 8 h 1 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:24 in mid-April and 5:04 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Plymstock
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 1,594 |
| 2 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,358 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,324 |
| 4 | MagpiePica pica | 1,318 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,306 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,125 |
| 7 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 981 |
| 8 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 959 |
| 9 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 933 |
| 10 | Little EgretEgretta garzetta | 924 |
| 11 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 915 |
| 12 | Great TitParus major | 899 |
| 13 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 847 |
| 14 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 802 |
| 15 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 761 |
| 16 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 747 |
| 17 | Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus | 726 |
| 18 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 709 |
| 19 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 677 |
| 20 | Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna | 673 |
Records by month
What to put out in Plymstock
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Plymouth
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 Plymstock?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Plymstock are Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Robin and Blackbird, based on 40,271 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Plymstock?
195 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Plymstock?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in June. Sunrise in late June is around 5:04.
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.