Birds of Castle Cary
What has actually been seen around Castle Cary: 100 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 100 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 2,346 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 91 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Castle Cary
100 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Castle Cary (Somerset) since 2010, across 2,346 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Lesser Black-backed Gull, Robin and Woodpigeon.
Castle Cary is a garden-bird place: 72% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Robin, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
8 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Red Kite and Common Kestrel. 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 May and are lowest in December — about 4.9 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.
Bruton, 5 km to the north-east, has fewer species on record (85 against 100).
Daylight runs from 16 h 34 min at midsummer to 7 h 54 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:17 in mid-April and 4:54 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Castle Cary
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 171 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 119 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 119 |
| 4 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 110 |
| 5 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 88 |
| 6 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 88 |
| 7 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 81 |
| 8 | SwiftApus apus | 77 |
| 9 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 76 |
| 10 | Great TitParus major | 65 |
| 11 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 61 |
| 12 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 56 |
| 13 | MagpiePica pica | 56 |
| 14 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 54 |
| 15 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 52 |
| 16 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 50 |
| 17 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 44 |
| 18 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 39 |
| 19 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 39 |
| 20 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 39 |
Records by month
What to put out in Castle Cary
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 Castle Cary?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Castle Cary are Robin, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Blackbird and Carrion Crow, based on 2,346 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Castle Cary?
100 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Castle Cary?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:54.
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.