Birds of Ilton
What has actually been seen around Ilton: 91 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 91 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 3,449 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- June
- Elevation
- 33 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.5 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Ilton
91 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Ilton (Somerset) since 2010, across 3,449 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow and Jackdaw.
Ilton is a garden-bird place: 85% 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 Magpie make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
11 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel 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 June and are lowest in November — about 28.8 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.
Ilminster, 3 km to the south, has a similar number of species on record (93 against 91). Birds logged far more often around Ilton than there include Green Woodpecker.
Daylight runs from 16 h 32 min at midsummer to 7 h 55 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 Ilton
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 247 |
| 2 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 225 |
| 3 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 203 |
| 4 | MagpiePica pica | 178 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 148 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 141 |
| 7 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 141 |
| 8 | Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis | 138 |
| 9 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 135 |
| 10 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 133 |
| 11 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 113 |
| 12 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 88 |
| 13 | Great TitParus major | 88 |
| 14 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 84 |
| 15 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 75 |
| 16 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 74 |
| 17 | SwiftApus apus | 71 |
| 18 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 66 |
| 19 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 66 |
| 20 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 62 |
Records by month
What to put out in Ilton
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 Ilton?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Ilton are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Magpie and Robin, based on 3,449 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Ilton?
91 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Ilton?
Observation records peak in June and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:56.
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.