Birds of Pilton
What has actually been seen around Pilton: 83 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 83 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 1,044 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Swift
- Busiest month
- June
- Elevation
- 52 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Pilton
83 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Pilton (Somerset) since 2010, across 1,044 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Swift, Lesser Black-backed Gull and Woodpigeon.
Pilton is a garden-bird place: 68% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Robin and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
7 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Eurasian Sparrowhawk 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 June and are lowest in December — about 15.6 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.
Croscombe, 4 km to the north, has more species on record (108 against 83).
Daylight runs from 16 h 35 min at midsummer to 7 h 53 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 Pilton
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SwiftApus apus | 97 |
| 2 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 65 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 57 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 44 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 37 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 36 |
| 7 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 33 |
| 8 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 31 |
| 9 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 30 |
| 10 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 30 |
| 11 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 29 |
| 12 | MagpiePica pica | 29 |
| 13 | Great TitParus major | 29 |
| 14 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 28 |
| 15 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 27 |
| 16 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 22 |
| 17 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 21 |
| 18 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 20 |
| 19 | Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major | 18 |
| 20 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 18 |
Records by month
What to put out in Pilton
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 Pilton?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Pilton are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Robin, Blackbird and Goldfinch, based on 1,044 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Pilton?
83 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Pilton?
Observation records peak in June 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.