Birds of Kensworth
What has actually been seen around Kensworth: 131 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 131 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 16,351 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 188 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Kensworth
131 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Kensworth (Central Bedfordshire) since 2010, across 16,351 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon and Red Kite.
Kensworth is a garden-bird place: 73% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Magpie, Blue Tit and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
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 January and are lowest in November — about 2.7 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.
Markyate, 3 km to the south-east, has fewer species on record (116 against 131). Birds logged far more often around Kensworth than there include Lesser Black-backed Gull and Black-throated Thrush.
Daylight runs from 16 h 42 min at midsummer to 7 h 46 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:07 in mid-April and 4:42 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Kensworth
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 891 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 817 |
| 3 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 726 |
| 4 | MagpiePica pica | 705 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 653 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 639 |
| 7 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 634 |
| 8 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 617 |
| 9 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 595 |
| 10 | Great TitParus major | 484 |
| 11 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 416 |
| 12 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 392 |
| 13 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 378 |
| 14 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 349 |
| 15 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 346 |
| 16 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 340 |
| 17 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 323 |
| 18 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 317 |
| 19 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 314 |
| 20 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 265 |
Records by month
What to put out in Kensworth
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 Kensworth?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Kensworth are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Blue Tit, Blackbird and Robin, based on 16,351 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Kensworth?
131 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Kensworth?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:42.
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.