Birds of Melksham
What has actually been seen around Melksham: 103 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 103 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 4,109 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- June
- Elevation
- 41 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Melksham
103 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Melksham (Wiltshire) since 2010, across 4,109 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Jackdaw.
Melksham is a garden-bird place: 77% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Jackdaw and Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
7 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 June and are lowest in December — about 4.3 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.
Whitley, 3 km to the north-west, has more species on record (112 against 103).
Daylight runs from 16 h 37 min at midsummer to 7 h 51 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:14 in mid-April and 4:51 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Melksham
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 241 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 206 |
| 3 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 200 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 196 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 179 |
| 6 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 161 |
| 7 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 146 |
| 8 | MagpiePica pica | 145 |
| 9 | Great TitParus major | 131 |
| 10 | SwiftApus apus | 127 |
| 11 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 126 |
| 12 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 105 |
| 13 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 105 |
| 14 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 102 |
| 15 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 95 |
| 16 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 94 |
| 17 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 92 |
| 18 | House MartinDelichon urbicum | 88 |
| 19 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 85 |
| 20 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 79 |
Records by month
What to put out in Melksham
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
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 Melksham?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Melksham are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Jackdaw, Robin and Blue Tit, based on 4,109 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Melksham?
103 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Melksham?
Observation records peak in June and are lowest in December. 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.