Birds of Whittington
What has actually been seen around Whittington: 119 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 119 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 3,973 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 93 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.9 h / 7.6 h
What the records say about Whittington
119 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Whittington (Shropshire) since 2010, across 3,973 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Swift and Jackdaw.
Whittington is a garden-bird place: 73% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Blackbird and Carrion Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
11 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Red Kite and Eurasian Sparrowhawk. 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 November — about 7.5 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.
Gobowen, 3 km to the north-west, has fewer species on record (106 against 119). Birds logged far more often around Whittington than there include Common Kingfisher.
Daylight runs from 16 h 55 min at midsummer to 7 h 35 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 Whittington
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 228 |
| 2 | SwiftApus apus | 198 |
| 3 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 196 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 157 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 147 |
| 6 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 144 |
| 7 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 135 |
| 8 | MagpiePica pica | 129 |
| 9 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 123 |
| 10 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 123 |
| 11 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 108 |
| 12 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 105 |
| 13 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 98 |
| 14 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 89 |
| 15 | Great TitParus major | 88 |
| 16 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 85 |
| 17 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 78 |
| 18 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 77 |
| 19 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 70 |
| 20 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 68 |
Records by month
What to put out in Whittington
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
- Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
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 Whittington?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Whittington are Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Blackbird, Carrion Crow and Robin, based on 3,973 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Whittington?
119 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Whittington?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in November. 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.