Birds of South Petherton
What has actually been seen around South Petherton: 127 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 127 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 6,219 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- August
- Elevation
- 41 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.5 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about South Petherton
127 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of South Petherton (Somerset) since 2010, across 6,219 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Robin and Blackbird.
South Petherton is a garden-bird place: 79% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Robin, Blackbird and Jackdaw make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Eurasian Sparrowhawk and Common Kestrel. 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 August and are lowest in October — about 12.7 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.
Martock, 4 km to the north-east, has more species on record (136 against 127).
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 South Petherton
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 313 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 291 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 283 |
| 4 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 262 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 235 |
| 6 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 212 |
| 7 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 208 |
| 8 | MagpiePica pica | 208 |
| 9 | Great TitParus major | 194 |
| 10 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 190 |
| 11 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 176 |
| 12 | SwiftApus apus | 174 |
| 13 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 168 |
| 14 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 152 |
| 15 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 148 |
| 16 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 143 |
| 17 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 134 |
| 18 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 114 |
| 19 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 113 |
| 20 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 107 |
Records by month
What to put out in South Petherton
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 South Petherton?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of South Petherton are Woodpigeon, Robin, Blackbird, Jackdaw and Carrion Crow, based on 6,219 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near South Petherton?
127 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in South Petherton?
Observation records peak in August and are lowest in October. 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.