Birds of Ilchester
What has actually been seen around Ilchester: 108 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 108 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 1,639 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- July
- Elevation
- 17 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Ilchester
108 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Ilchester (Somerset) since 2010, across 1,639 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Robin and Blackbird.
Ilchester 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, Robin, Blackbird and Carrion Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
12 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel 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 July and are lowest in November — about 16.1 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.
Tintinhull, 4 km to the south-west, has more species on record (114 against 108). Birds logged far more often around Ilchester than there include Yellowhammer.
Daylight runs from 16 h 33 min at midsummer to 7 h 55 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:17 in mid-April and 4:55 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Ilchester
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 90 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 83 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 71 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 71 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 70 |
| 6 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 59 |
| 7 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 56 |
| 8 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 54 |
| 9 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 51 |
| 10 | MagpiePica pica | 51 |
| 11 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 46 |
| 12 | Great TitParus major | 46 |
| 13 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 45 |
| 14 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 41 |
| 15 | House MartinDelichon urbicum | 37 |
| 16 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 35 |
| 17 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 34 |
| 18 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 34 |
| 19 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 31 |
| 20 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 31 |
Records by month
What to put out in Ilchester
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
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 Ilchester?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Ilchester are Woodpigeon, Robin, Blackbird, Carrion Crow and Blue Tit, based on 1,639 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Ilchester?
108 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Ilchester?
Observation records peak in July and are lowest in November. 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.