Birds of Amesbury
What has actually been seen around Amesbury: 126 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 126 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 15,836 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Busiest month
- September
- Elevation
- 81 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Amesbury
126 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Amesbury (Wiltshire) since 2010, across 15,836 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Lesser Black-backed Gull, Rook and Jackdaw.
The records split between garden birds (52%) and waterbirds (39%), so a feeder in Amesbury sees the familiar Rook, Jackdaw and Carrion Crow, while Lesser Black-backed Gull and others turn up on nearby water.
14 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Common Kestrel and Common Buzzard. 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 September and are lowest in January — about 10.1 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.
Lark Hill, 4 km to the north-west, has more species on record (143 against 126).
Daylight runs from 16 h 35 min at midsummer to 7 h 53 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:13 in mid-April and 4:51 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Amesbury
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 5,820 |
| 2 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 1,298 |
| 3 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 771 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 669 |
| 5 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 577 |
| 6 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 541 |
| 7 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 427 |
| 8 | Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensis | 414 |
| 9 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 394 |
| 10 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 321 |
| 11 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 312 |
| 12 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 259 |
| 13 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 247 |
| 14 | SwiftApus apus | 244 |
| 15 | MagpiePica pica | 233 |
| 16 | Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus | 215 |
| 17 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 211 |
| 18 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 210 |
| 19 | Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra | 184 |
| 20 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 166 |
Records by month
What to put out in Amesbury
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
- Starling
Suet · Mealworms
- Pied Wagtail
Mealworms
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Goldfinch
Nyjer seed · Sunflower hearts
Seasonal bird notes for Wiltshire
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 Amesbury?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Amesbury are Rook, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Starling and Pied Wagtail, based on 15,836 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Amesbury?
126 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Amesbury?
Observation records peak in September and are lowest in January. Sunrise in late June is around 4:51.
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.