Birds of Pontesbury
What has actually been seen around Pontesbury: 111 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 111 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 3,367 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 108 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.9 h / 7.6 h
What the records say about Pontesbury
111 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Pontesbury (Shropshire) since 2010, across 3,367 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Carrion Crow.
Pontesbury is a garden-bird place: 71% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Carrion Crow and Magpie make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
8 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard and Red Kite.
Records peak in January and are lowest in September — about 8.1 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.
Westbury, 6 km to the north-west, has fewer species on record (68 against 111). Birds logged far more often around Pontesbury than there include Common Moorhen, Eurasian Teal, Eurasian Coot and Tufted Duck.
Daylight runs from 16 h 52 min at midsummer to 7 h 38 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:15 in mid-April and 4:46 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Pontesbury
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 181 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 161 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 139 |
| 4 | MagpiePica pica | 129 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 128 |
| 6 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 121 |
| 7 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 116 |
| 8 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 101 |
| 9 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 99 |
| 10 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 93 |
| 11 | Great TitParus major | 86 |
| 12 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 84 |
| 13 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 82 |
| 14 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 80 |
| 15 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 77 |
| 16 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 75 |
| 17 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 70 |
| 18 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 65 |
| 19 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 64 |
| 20 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 63 |
Records by month
What to put out in Pontesbury
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
- Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
Seasonal bird notes for Shropshire
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 Pontesbury?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Pontesbury are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Magpie and Blue Tit, based on 3,367 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Pontesbury?
111 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Pontesbury?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in September. Sunrise in late June is around 4:46.
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.