Birds of Shrewsbury
What has actually been seen around Shrewsbury: 126 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 126 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 9,038 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 75 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.9 h / 7.6 h
What the records say about Shrewsbury
126 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Shrewsbury (Shropshire) since 2010, across 9,038 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Magpie and Robin.
Shrewsbury is a garden-bird place: 78% 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 Common Buzzard, Eurasian Sparrowhawk and Red Kite. 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 January and are lowest in October — about 6.5 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.
Bayston Hill, 4 km to the south, has more species on record (161 against 126).
Daylight runs from 16 h 53 min at midsummer to 7 h 37 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:14 in mid-April and 4:46 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Shrewsbury
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 657 |
| 2 | MagpiePica pica | 530 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 524 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 518 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 505 |
| 6 | Great TitParus major | 394 |
| 7 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 375 |
| 8 | SwiftApus apus | 344 |
| 9 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 303 |
| 10 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 252 |
| 11 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 228 |
| 12 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 217 |
| 13 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 210 |
| 14 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 203 |
| 15 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 203 |
| 16 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 187 |
| 17 | GreenfinchChloris chloris | 180 |
| 18 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 170 |
| 19 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 161 |
| 20 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 159 |
Records by month
What to put out in Shrewsbury
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
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 Shrewsbury?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Shrewsbury are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Robin, Blackbird and Blue Tit, based on 9,038 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Shrewsbury?
126 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Shrewsbury?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in October. 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.