Birds of Shotley
What has actually been seen around Shotley: 246 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 246 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 68,413 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Little Egret
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 25 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.7 h
What the records say about Shotley
246 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Shotley (Suffolk) since 2010, across 68,413 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Little Egret, Woodpigeon and European Herring Gull.
Water shapes this list. 52% of records near Shotley are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Little Egret, European Herring Gull and Black-headed Gull lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.
17 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Eurasian Marsh-Harrier.
Records peak in April and are lowest in September — about 2.1 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.
Chelmondiston, 4 km to the north-west, has fewer species on record (232 against 246).
Daylight runs from 16 h 44 min at midsummer to 7 h 45 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:00 in mid-April and 4:34 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Shotley
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Little EgretEgretta garzetta | 1,511 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,464 |
| 3 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 1,419 |
| 4 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 1,418 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,365 |
| 6 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 1,266 |
| 7 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 1,234 |
| 8 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,177 |
| 9 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 1,139 |
| 10 | Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna | 1,120 |
| 11 | MagpiePica pica | 1,104 |
| 12 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,097 |
| 13 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,089 |
| 14 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 1,050 |
| 15 | Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope | 1,047 |
| 16 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 1,033 |
| 17 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,027 |
| 18 | BrantBranta bernicla | 1,023 |
| 19 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 972 |
| 20 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 966 |
Records by month
What to put out in Shotley
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 Shotley?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Shotley are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Magpie and Blackbird, based on 68,413 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Shotley?
246 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Shotley?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in September. Sunrise in late June is around 4:34.
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.