Somerset · 51.20°N

Birds of Minehead

What has actually been seen around Minehead: 141 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 141 within 5 km
Observation records: 3,656 since 2010
Most recorded bird: European Herring Gull
Busiest month: April
Elevation: 29 m
Daylight, June / December: 16.6 h / 7.9 h

What the records say about Minehead

141 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Minehead (Somerset) since 2010, across 3,656 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Robin and Carrion Crow.

Minehead is a garden-bird place: 67% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Robin, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

9 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard 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 April and are lowest in January — about 2.0 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.

Carhampton, 5 km to the south-east, has a similar number of species on record (137 against 141).

Daylight runs from 16 h 35 min at midsummer to 7 h 53 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:20 in mid-April and 4:57 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Minehead

#	Bird	Records
1	European Herring GullLarus argentatus	234
2	RobinErithacus rubecula	148
3	Carrion CrowCorvus corone	133
4	WoodpigeonColumba palumbus	128
5	BlackbirdTurdus merula	123
6	Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus	109
7	GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis	100
8	DunnockPrunella modularis	96
9	Pied WagtailMotacilla alba	94
10	SwiftApus apus	90
11	Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus	88
12	House SparrowPasser domesticus	87
13	ChaffinchFringilla coelebs	81
14	Common BuzzardButeo buteo	70
15	Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus	69
16	RookCorvus frugilegus	68
17	WrenTroglodytes troglodytes	68
18	JackdawColoeus monedula	63
19	MagpiePica pica	61
20	Song ThrushTurdus philomelos	57

Records by month

What to put out in Minehead

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

Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
Woodpigeon
Seed mix
Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
Goldfinch
Nyjer seed · Sunflower hearts
Dunnock
Sunflower hearts · Suet pellets · Crushed peanuts
Pied Wagtail
Mealworms

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 Minehead?

The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Minehead are Robin, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Goldfinch, based on 3,656 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Minehead?

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

When is the best month for birds in Minehead?

Observation records peak in April and are lowest in January. Sunrise in late June is around 4:57.

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.