Birds of Henlow
What has actually been seen around Henlow: 169 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 169 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 20,568 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- October
- Elevation
- 43 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.7 h
What the records say about Henlow
169 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Henlow (Central Bedfordshire) since 2010, across 20,568 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Lesser Black-backed Gull and Carrion Crow.
Henlow is a garden-bird place: 66% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Robin and Magpie make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
14 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 October and are lowest in December — about 2.4 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.
Shefford, 3 km to the west, has a similar number of species on record (170 against 169).
Daylight runs from 16 h 45 min at midsummer to 7 h 44 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:06 in mid-April and 4:40 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Henlow
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 830 |
| 2 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 781 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 686 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 667 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 650 |
| 6 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 641 |
| 7 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 620 |
| 8 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 614 |
| 9 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 569 |
| 10 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 526 |
| 11 | Great TitParus major | 523 |
| 12 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 486 |
| 13 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 474 |
| 14 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 461 |
| 15 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 437 |
| 16 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 423 |
| 17 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 407 |
| 18 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 368 |
| 19 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 363 |
| 20 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 357 |
Records by month
What to put out in Henlow
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
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 Henlow?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Henlow are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Robin, Magpie and Jackdaw, based on 20,568 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Henlow?
169 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Henlow?
Observation records peak in October and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:40.
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.