Birds of Holt
What has actually been seen around Holt: 136 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 136 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 8,461 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 41 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Holt
136 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Holt (Wiltshire) since 2010, across 8,461 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon and Swift.
Holt is a garden-bird place: 68% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin and Jackdaw make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
11 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Red Kite 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 May and are lowest in October — about 3.4 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.
Semington, 4 km to the east, has fewer species on record (108 against 136).
Daylight runs from 16 h 37 min at midsummer to 7 h 51 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:15 in mid-April and 4:51 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Holt
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 636 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 520 |
| 3 | SwiftApus apus | 453 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 397 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 367 |
| 6 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 323 |
| 7 | MagpiePica pica | 320 |
| 8 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 312 |
| 9 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 303 |
| 10 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 243 |
| 11 | Great TitParus major | 230 |
| 12 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 215 |
| 13 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 212 |
| 14 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 205 |
| 15 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 173 |
| 16 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 170 |
| 17 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 159 |
| 18 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 155 |
| 19 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 150 |
| 20 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 142 |
Records by month
What to put out in Holt
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
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 Holt?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Holt are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin, Jackdaw and Magpie, based on 8,461 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Holt?
136 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Holt?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in October. 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.