Somerset · 50.93°N

Birds of Ilminster

What has actually been seen around Ilminster: 93 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 93 within 5 km
Observation records: 1,079 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Woodpigeon
Busiest month: October
Elevation: 47 m
Daylight, June / December: 16.5 h / 7.9 h

What the records say about Ilminster

93 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Ilminster (Somerset) since 2010, across 1,079 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow and Jackdaw.

Ilminster is a garden-bird place: 74% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, 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, 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 October and are lowest in November — about 17.5 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.

Ilton, 3 km to the north, has a similar number of species on record (91 against 93).

Daylight runs from 16 h 32 min at midsummer to 7 h 56 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:18 in mid-April and 4:56 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Ilminster

#	Bird	Records
1	WoodpigeonColumba palumbus	81
2	Carrion CrowCorvus corone	68
3	JackdawColoeus monedula	60
4	SwiftApus apus	54
5	Common BuzzardButeo buteo	43
6	BlackbirdTurdus merula	40
7	Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus	36
8	RobinErithacus rubecula	34
9	House SparrowPasser domesticus	33
10	WrenTroglodytes troglodytes	30
11	Great TitParus major	26
12	MagpiePica pica	25
13	Pied WagtailMotacilla alba	24
14	BlackcapSylvia atricapilla	21
15	ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita	21
16	European Herring GullLarus argentatus	19
17	RookCorvus frugilegus	19
18	ChaffinchFringilla coelebs	19
19	GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis	19
20	DunnockPrunella modularis	19

Records by month

What to put out in Ilminster

Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.

Woodpigeon
Seed mix
Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet

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 Ilminster?

The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Ilminster are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Blackbird and Blue Tit, based on 1,079 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Ilminster?

93 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).

When is the best month for birds in Ilminster?

Observation records peak in October and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:56.

Sources

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.