Birds of Harlington
What has actually been seen around Harlington: 114 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 114 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 4,981 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Busiest month
- August
- Elevation
- 107 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Harlington
114 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Harlington (Central Bedfordshire) since 2010, across 4,981 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon and Red Kite.
The records split between garden birds (58%) and waterbirds (28%), so a feeder in Harlington sees the familiar Woodpigeon, Starling and Carrion Crow, while Lesser Black-backed Gull and others turn up on nearby water.
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 August and are lowest in November — about 6.5 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.
Toddington, 3 km to the south-west, has more species on record (129 against 114). Birds logged far more often around Harlington than there include Lady Amherst's Pheasant, Coal Tit, Nuthatch and Treecreeper.
Daylight runs from 16 h 44 min at midsummer to 7 h 45 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:07 in mid-April and 4:41 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Harlington
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 1,088 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 312 |
| 3 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 279 |
| 4 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 230 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 213 |
| 6 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 167 |
| 7 | MagpiePica pica | 163 |
| 8 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 158 |
| 9 | SwiftApus apus | 146 |
| 10 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 142 |
| 11 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 123 |
| 12 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 103 |
| 13 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 95 |
| 14 | Great TitParus major | 94 |
| 15 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 84 |
| 16 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 80 |
| 17 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 72 |
| 18 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 70 |
| 19 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 59 |
| 20 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 58 |
Records by month
What to put out in Harlington
Seasonal bird notes for Central Bedfordshire
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 Harlington?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Harlington are Woodpigeon, Starling, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit and Magpie, based on 4,981 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Harlington?
114 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Harlington?
Observation records peak in August and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:41.
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.