Birds of Marlborough
What has actually been seen around Marlborough: 118 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 118 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 4,290 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 130 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Marlborough
118 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Marlborough (Wiltshire) since 2010, across 4,290 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon and Robin.
Marlborough is a garden-bird place: 67% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Robin, Blackbird and Blue Tit make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
10 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 January and are lowest in December — about 2.2 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.
Burbage, 9 km to the south-east, has fewer species on record (97 against 118). Birds logged far more often around Marlborough than there include Cetti's Warbler, Little Egret, Starling and Pied Wagtail.
Daylight runs from 16 h 38 min at midsummer to 7 h 51 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:13 in mid-April and 4:49 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Marlborough
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 457 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 219 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 176 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 149 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 137 |
| 6 | Great TitParus major | 137 |
| 7 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 133 |
| 8 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 131 |
| 9 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 120 |
| 10 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 114 |
| 11 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 104 |
| 12 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 101 |
| 13 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 101 |
| 14 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 89 |
| 15 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 82 |
| 16 | SwiftApus apus | 81 |
| 17 | NuthatchSitta europaea | 80 |
| 18 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 79 |
| 19 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 79 |
| 20 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 78 |
Records by month
What to put out in Marlborough
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 Marlborough?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Marlborough are Woodpigeon, Robin, Blackbird, Blue Tit and Great Tit, based on 4,290 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Marlborough?
118 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Marlborough?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:49.
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.