United Kingdom Ramsar wetland
Somerset Levels
220 bird species recorded; the most from April to May.
Photographed by myself (Adrian Pingstone) · Public domain
This month here
135 species in January.136 species in February.152 species in March.168 species in April.160 species in May.137 species in June.127 species in July.129 species in August.136 species in September.137 species in October.126 species in November.124 species in December.
The birds you are most likely to see in the month you choose, those that come for the season first. It opens on today's month.
NT
NT
NT- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
220 species, counted.
Our own rating, from the records only: species (50 points), threatened species (20), migrants (20) and protected status — Ramsar, IBA, SPA, observatory (10).
- 220Speciesrecorded more than once
- 106Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 9ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 154,410Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 13Raptors
- 4Owls
- 31Waders
- 17Gulls & seabirds
- 40Ducks & geese
- 16Herons, ibises & grebes
- 2Storks & cranes
- 74Songbirds
- 23Other birds
From open records (eBird and others, through GBIF, licensed for any use). More birdwatchers mean more records: a quiet place may have more birds than it shows.
The checklist
All 220 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors13 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
- Common BuzzardButeo buteo
- European HobbyFalco subbuteo
- Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
- Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
- Red KiteMilvus milvus
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- MerlinFalco columbarius
- OspreyPandion haliaetus
- Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
- Red-footed FalconFalco vespertinusVU
- Booted eagleHieraaetus pennatus
- White-tailed EagleHaliaeetus albicilla
Owls4 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Western Barn OwlTyto alba
- Tawny OwlStrix aluco
- Little OwlAthene noctua
- Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus
Waders31 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusNT
- Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
- Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaNT
- RedshankTringa totanus
- RuffCalidris pugnax
- European Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
- DunlinCalidris alpinaNT
- Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
- Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquataNT
- Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
- Spotted RedshankTringa erythropus
- Hudsonian GodwitLimosa haemasticaVU
- Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
- Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
- Wood SandpiperTringa glareola
- Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
- Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticola
- Long-billed dowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceusNT
- Bar-tailed godwitLimosa lapponicaNT
- Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimus
- Little StintCalidris minuta
- Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusNT
- Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotos
- Red KnotCalidris canutusNT
- Lesser yellowlegsTringa flavipesVU
- Collared PratincoleGlareola pratincola
- Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
- Pied AvocetRecurvirostra avosetta
- Temminck's StintCalidris temminckii
- Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
- Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaVU
Gulls & seabirds17 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- European Herring GullLarus argentatus
- Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- Common GullLarus canus
- Gull-billed TernGelochelidon nilotica
- Black TernChlidonias niger
- Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus
- Little GullHydrocoloeus minutus
- Arctic TernSterna paradisaea
- White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterus
- Whiskered TernChlidonias hybrida
- Black-legged kittiwakeRissa tridactylaVU
- Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellis
- Arctic SkuaStercorarius parasiticus
- Little TernSternula albifrons
Ducks & geese40 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Mute SwanCygnus olor
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- GadwallMareca strepera
- Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
- Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
- Eurasian TealAnas crecca
- Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
- Canada GooseBranta canadensis
- Common PochardAythya ferinaVU
- Greylag GooseAnser anser
- Northern PintailAnas acuta
- GarganeySpatula querquedula
- Baikal TealSibirionetta formosa
- Ring-necked DuckAythya collaris
- Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiaca
- Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna
- Whooper SwanCygnus cygnus
- American WigeonMareca americana
- Common GoldeneyeBucephala clangula
- Lesser ScaupAythya affinis
- Greater ScaupAythya marila
- Bewick's SwanCygnus columbianus
- Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsis
- Ferruginous DuckAythya nyrocaNT
- GoosanderMergus merganser
- Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifrons
- Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensis
- SmewMergellus albellus
- Red-crested pochardNetta rufina
- Black swanCygnus atratus
- Long-tailed duckClangula hyemalisVU
- Tundra Bean GooseAnser serrirostris
- Swan GooseAnser cygnoides
- Bar-headed GooseAnser indicus
- Common ScoterMelanitta nigra
- Brent GooseBranta bernicla
- Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchus
- Green-winged tealAnas carolinensis
- Mandarin DuckAix galericulata
- Chiloe WigeonMareca sibilatrix
Herons, ibises & grebes16 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea
- Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
- Eurasian BitternBotaurus stellaris
- Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
- Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
- Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
- Pied-billed GrebePodilymbus podiceps
- Purple heronArdea purpurea
- Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodia
- Squacco HeronArdeola ralloides
- Black-crowned Night-HeronNycticorax nycticorax
- Eared GrebePodiceps nigricollis
- ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis
Storks & cranes2 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common CraneGrus grus
- White StorkCiconia ciconia
Songbirds74 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone
- European RobinErithacus rubecula
- Eurasian Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- Cetti's WarblerCettia cetti
- Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
- Great titParus major
- Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- Eurasian MagpiePica pica
- European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
- Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
- Eurasian Reed WarblerAcrocephalus scirpaceus
- DunnockPrunella modularis
- Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- Western JackdawColoeus monedula
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- White WagtailMotacilla alba
- Eurasian JayGarrulus glandarius
- Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
- Garden WarblerSylvia borin
- WhitethroatSylvia communis
- Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia
- RookCorvus frugilegus
- Northern RavenCorvus corax
- RedwingTurdus iliacus
- Bearded ReedlingPanurus biarmicus
- European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
- BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
- European GreenfinchChloris chloris
- Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
- Common RedpollAcanthis flammea
- Eurasian TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
- Coal TitPeriparus ater
- FieldfareTurdus pilaris
- Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
- Eurasian River WarblerLocustella fluviatilis
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
- Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
- Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
- Great Reed WarblerAcrocephalus arundinaceus
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- Common FirecrestRegulus ignicapilla
- Common Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naevia
- Water PipitAnthus spinoletta
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
- Marsh TitPoecile palustris
- BramblingFringilla montifringilla
- Lesser whitethroatSylvia curruca
- Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaea
- Yellow-browed WarblerPhylloscopus inornatus
- Common NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchos
- Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
- YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella
- WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
- Wood WarblerPhylloscopus sibillatrix
- Eurasian Penduline TitRemiz pendulinus
- Dusky warblerPhylloscopus fuscatus
- Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
- Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
- Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra
- Ring OuzelTurdus torquatus
- Richard's PipitAnthus richardi
- European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
- Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
- HawfinchCoccothraustes coccothraustes
- Lanius excubitorLanius excubitor
Other birds23 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- CootFulica atra
- Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
- Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- European Water RailRallus aquaticus
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
- European SwiftApus apus
- Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
- Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus
- Common CuckooCuculus canorus
- Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- Stock DoveColumba oenas
- Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- Spotted CrakePorzana porzana
- Red-legged PartridgeAlectoris rufaNT
- Grey PartridgePerdix perdix
- European RollerCoracias garrulus
- Common QuailCoturnix coturnix
- European NightjarCaprimulgus europaeus
- European Turtle DoveStreptopelia turturVU
- Lesser Spotted WoodpeckerDryobates minor
- Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melba
- Indian PeafowlPavo cristatus
Monthly presence relative to all bird records that month, so a busy month does not inflate every species.
When to go
The most species from April to May.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan7°/3°93 mm
- Feb8°/2°73 mm
- Mar10°/3°71 mm
- Apr13°/5°58 mm
- May16°/8°64 mm
- Jun19°/10°70 mm
- Jul20°/12°76 mm
- Aug20°/12°82 mm
- Sep18°/10°58 mm
- Oct14°/8°103 mm
- Nov10°/6°102 mm
- Dec8°/4°101 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Somerset Levels.
Coastal plain and wetland area of Somerset, South West England
Somerset Levels is a wetland of international importance (Ramsar) in United Kingdom.
220 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 154,410 open records.
The most recorded are the Mute Swan, the Mallard and the Western Marsh Harrier.
56 species come for the summer, 48 for the winter and 2 only pass through.
9 are threatened worldwide, including Common Pochard, Hudsonian Godwit and Red-footed Falcon.
The most species are recorded from April to May.
Get there and watch
- Broadfield Parkcampsite · 2.6 km · 13 within 10 km
- Shapwick Houseplace to stay · 3.9 km · 31 within 10 km
- Westonzoylandnearest town · 4.4 km in a straight line
- Bristol Airport (BRS)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 31 km in a straight lineCar hire at BRS airport (Bristol)Discover Cars · sponsored link↗
Plan the visit
A guided walk, a bed nearby, a car.
Some links above are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the data on this page says.
From above
The place and its surroundings.
The satellite image of the 6 × 6 km around the place, with the bird hides, towers and trails that OpenStreetMap shows.
Around, in OpenStreetMap
- 19bird hides within 6 kmSett Hide, Barbara Handley Hide, Decoy Hide and 16 more
- 1marked trails within 4 kmMary Michael Pilgrims Way
- 3visitor centres within 6 kmAvalon Marshes Visitor Centre, RSPB Ham Wall Visitor Centre
- 2viewpoints within 5 km
- 4car parks within 3 km
- 13campsites within 10 kmBroadfield Park, Thornhills Farm, Bramble Hill and 10 more
- 31places to stay within 10 kmShapwick House, Pig and Wheel, Apple View B & B and 28 more
- observation towers within 6 km
- restaurants and cafés within 3 km
Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit. A low number may just mean nobody has mapped it yet.
In our other atlases
Around Somerset Levels.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Peakyas12 mountains within 25 kmBurrow Mump · 6.2 kmGlastonbury Tor158 m · 12 kmBrent Knoll · 16 kmWavering Down211 m · 20 kmPen Hill305 m · 21 kmWills Neck384 m · 23 kmBlack Down325 m · 23 kmStaple Hill315 m · 24 km
Lakeyas1 lakes within 15 kmDurleigh reservoir0.2 km² · 12 km
Cavernyas3 caves within 20 kmWookey Hole Caves · 18 kmCox's Cave · 20 kmGough's Cave · 20 km
Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.
Other places nearby.
Somerset Levels
United Kingdom
- 84Birdyas Score
- 220Species
- 106Migrants
- 9Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q6376320) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 154,410 open bird records within 6 km (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY 4.0 only; mostly eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology) |
| See these records | gbif.org |
| Species | GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0; Wikidata (CC0); Wikimedia Commons |
| Altitude | Copernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA |
| Temperature and rain | NASA POWER (CERES SYN1deg, 2001–2020; MERRA-2) |
| What is around | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Images | EOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons |
| Sister atlases | Peakyas, Islandyas, Lakeyas, Cavernyas |
Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.
The family
Do you prefer beaches, lakes, mountains, waterfalls, islands, rivers, canyons, caves, dark skies, viewpoints, birdwatching or forests?
Same idea, other landscapes: field atlases built on open data, in seven languages.
beaches
Find your beach: sea temperature, sun and swimming month by month.Visit lakes
Every lake on Earth: water temperature, ice, depth and the shore.Visit mountains
Every summit in 3D: summit weather, the 0 °C line, huts and trails.Visit 
waterfalls
Every waterfall: height, flow month by month and when it roars.Visit 
islands
Every island from the sea up: size, sea temperature, ferries and 3D.Visit 
rivers
Every river from source to sea: the journey, the flow and the basin in numbers.Visit 
canyons
Every canyon cut to scale: depth to the floor, rim and floor temperatures, trails and viewpoints.Visit caves
Every cave with its real depth and length: the rock above, the temperature inside all year, and how to visit.Visit 
dark skies
Where the night is still dark: the sky of every place, the Milky Way month by month, the Moon, eclipses and auroras.Visit 
viewpoints
Every viewpoint with its real 360° panorama: the peaks you can name, how far you see and where the sun sets.Coming soonVisit 
birdwatching
Every bird sanctuary and wetland with the species recorded month by month: who is resident, who comes for the summer, who only passes through.You are here
forests
Every forest with its land-cover rings, what grows and lives in it, and the best months to walk it.Coming soonVisit