Birds of Semington
What has actually been seen around Semington: 108 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 108 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 5,385 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Busiest month
- June
- Elevation
- 39 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Semington
108 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Semington (Wiltshire) since 2010, across 5,385 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon and Blackbird.
Semington is a garden-bird place: 70% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin and Magpie make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
8 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 4.9 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.
Melksham, 3 km to the north, has fewer species on record (103 against 108). Birds logged far more often around Semington than there include Lesser Black-backed Gull and Rock Pigeon.
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 Semington
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 600 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 299 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 238 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 234 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 217 |
| 6 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 201 |
| 7 | SwiftApus apus | 190 |
| 8 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 184 |
| 9 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 168 |
| 10 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 163 |
| 11 | Great TitParus major | 160 |
| 12 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 139 |
| 13 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 134 |
| 14 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 113 |
| 15 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 109 |
| 16 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 105 |
| 17 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 101 |
| 18 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 98 |
| 19 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 92 |
| 20 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 92 |
Records by month
What to put out in Semington
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 Semington?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Semington are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin, Magpie and Blue Tit, based on 5,385 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Semington?
108 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Semington?
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.