Birds of Paignton
What has actually been seen around Paignton: 180 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 180 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 15,824 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- European Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 8 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.4 h / 8 h
What the records say about Paignton
180 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Paignton (Torbay) since 2010, across 15,824 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Carrion Crow and Woodpigeon.
The records split between garden birds (58%) and waterbirds (37%), so a feeder in Paignton sees the familiar Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon and Robin, while European Herring Gull and others turn up on nearby water.
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 January and are lowest in August — about 6.5 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.
Torquay, 4 km to the north-east, has fewer species on record (159 against 180). Birds logged far more often around Paignton than there include Great Crested Grebe, Black-necked Grebe and Little Grebe.
Daylight runs from 16 h 27 min at midsummer to 8 h 0 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:22 in mid-April and 5:02 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Paignton
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 797 |
| 2 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 625 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 599 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 594 |
| 5 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 454 |
| 6 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 430 |
| 7 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 417 |
| 8 | MagpiePica pica | 384 |
| 9 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 375 |
| 10 | Cirl BuntingEmberiza cirlus | 368 |
| 11 | Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus | 366 |
| 12 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 364 |
| 13 | Great TitParus major | 349 |
| 14 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 343 |
| 15 | GreenfinchChloris chloris | 335 |
| 16 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 319 |
| 17 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 315 |
| 18 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 314 |
| 19 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 305 |
| 20 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 303 |
Records by month
What to put out in Paignton
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Torbay
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 Paignton?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Paignton are Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Robin, Blackbird and Dunnock, based on 15,824 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Paignton?
180 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Paignton?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in August. Sunrise in late June is around 5:02.
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.