West Berkshire · 51.47°N

Birds of Great Shefford

What has actually been seen around Great Shefford: 88 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 88 within 5 km
Observation records: 1,848 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Lesser Black-backed Gull
Busiest month: July
Elevation: 109 m
Daylight, June / December: 16.6 h / 7.8 h

What the records say about Great Shefford

88 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Great Shefford (West Berkshire) since 2010, across 1,848 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Lesser Black-backed Gull, Red Kite and Common Pheasant.

The records split between garden birds (40%) and waterbirds (39%), so a feeder in Great Shefford sees the familiar Woodpigeon, Blue Tit and Robin, while Lesser Black-backed Gull and others turn up on nearby water.

8 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Common Buzzard 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 July and are lowest in May — about 6.4 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.

Wickham, 4 km to the south, has more species on record (115 against 88). Birds logged far more often around Great Shefford than there include Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Daylight runs from 16 h 38 min at midsummer to 7 h 50 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:12 in mid-April and 4:48 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Great Shefford

#	Bird	Records
1	Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus	665
2	Red KiteMilvus milvus	163
3	Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus	78
4	Common BuzzardButeo buteo	57
5	WoodpigeonColumba palumbus	45
6	Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus	36
7	RobinErithacus rubecula	36
8	DunnockPrunella modularis	33
9	Pied WagtailMotacilla alba	33
10	BlackbirdTurdus merula	32
11	Carrion CrowCorvus corone	31
12	ChaffinchFringilla coelebs	29
13	Red-legged PartridgeAlectoris rufa	28
14	WrenTroglodytes troglodytes	27
15	Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea	25
16	MagpiePica pica	24
17	Great TitParus major	23
18	GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis	22
19	JackdawColoeus monedula	22
20	ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita	21

Records by month

What to put out in Great Shefford

Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.

Woodpigeon
Seed mix
Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
Dunnock
Sunflower hearts · Suet pellets · Crushed peanuts
Pied Wagtail
Mealworms
Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms

Seasonal bird notes for West Berkshire

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 Great Shefford?

The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Great Shefford are Woodpigeon, Blue Tit, Robin, Dunnock and Pied Wagtail, based on 1,848 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Great Shefford?

88 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).

When is the best month for birds in Great Shefford?

Observation records peak in July and are lowest in May. Sunrise in late June is around 4:48.

Sources

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.