Birds of Burnham-on-Sea
What has actually been seen around Burnham-on-Sea: 244 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 244 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 50,605 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- European Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 9 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Burnham-on-Sea
244 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Burnham-on-Sea (Somerset) since 2010, across 50,605 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Carrion Crow and Common Shelduck.
Water shapes this list. 49% of records near Burnham-on-Sea are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — European Herring Gull, Common Shelduck and Eurasian Curlew lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Carrion Crow is still the most logged garden bird.
15 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel, Common Buzzard and Peregrine Falcon.
Records peak in January and are lowest in June — about 3.8 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.
Brent Knoll, 3 km to the north-east, has fewer species on record (228 against 244). Birds logged far more often around Burnham-on-Sea than there include Stock Dove.
Daylight runs from 16 h 36 min at midsummer to 7 h 52 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:18 in mid-April and 4:55 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Burnham-on-Sea
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 1,585 |
| 2 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,372 |
| 3 | Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna | 1,298 |
| 4 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 1,210 |
| 5 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 1,204 |
| 6 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,144 |
| 7 | Little EgretEgretta garzetta | 1,112 |
| 8 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 1,097 |
| 9 | MagpiePica pica | 1,093 |
| 10 | DunlinCalidris alpina | 1,071 |
| 11 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 993 |
| 12 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 988 |
| 13 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 950 |
| 14 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 947 |
| 15 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 932 |
| 16 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 930 |
| 17 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 854 |
| 18 | Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus | 838 |
| 19 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 780 |
| 20 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 739 |
Records by month
What to put out in Burnham-on-Sea
Seasonal bird notes for Somerset
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 Burnham-on-Sea?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Burnham-on-Sea are Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Blackbird and Robin, based on 50,605 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Burnham-on-Sea?
244 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Burnham-on-Sea?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in June. Sunrise in late June is around 4:55.
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.