Birds of Mellis
What has actually been seen around Mellis: 108 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 108 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 4,779 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 53 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.8 h / 7.7 h
What the records say about Mellis
108 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Mellis (Suffolk) since 2010, across 4,779 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Lesser Black-backed Gull and Blackbird.
Mellis is a garden-bird place: 75% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Goldfinch and Blue Tit make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
9 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Barn Owl 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 April and are lowest in December — about 8.2 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.
Gislingham, 4 km to the south-west, has a similar number of species on record (106 against 108). Birds logged far more often around Mellis than there include Eurasian Oystercatcher, Eurasian Reed Warbler and Common Cuckoo.
Daylight runs from 16 h 48 min at midsummer to 7 h 41 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:00 in mid-April and 4:32 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Mellis
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 279 |
| 2 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 238 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 202 |
| 4 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 187 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 173 |
| 6 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 168 |
| 7 | SwiftApus apus | 142 |
| 8 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 140 |
| 9 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 138 |
| 10 | Great TitParus major | 136 |
| 11 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 135 |
| 12 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 127 |
| 13 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 122 |
| 14 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 122 |
| 15 | MagpiePica pica | 121 |
| 16 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 121 |
| 17 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 119 |
| 18 | Stock DoveColumba oenas | 105 |
| 19 | GreenfinchChloris chloris | 105 |
| 20 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 98 |
Records by month
What to put out in Mellis
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Suffolk
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 Mellis?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Mellis are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Goldfinch, Blue Tit and Robin, based on 4,779 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Mellis?
108 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Mellis?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:32.
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.