Birds of Ardleigh
What has actually been seen around Ardleigh: 162 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 162 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 23,843 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 37 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Ardleigh
162 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Ardleigh (Essex) since 2010, across 23,843 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blue Tit and Carrion Crow.
Ardleigh is a garden-bird place: 61% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
13 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel.
Records peak in April and are lowest in November — about 6.9 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.
Elmstead Market, 5 km to the south, has more species on record (185 against 162).
Daylight runs from 16 h 43 min at midsummer to 7 h 45 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:01 in mid-April and 4:35 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Ardleigh
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 850 |
| 2 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 775 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 750 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 736 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 702 |
| 6 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 689 |
| 7 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 686 |
| 8 | Great TitParus major | 651 |
| 9 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 645 |
| 10 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 576 |
| 11 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 538 |
| 12 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 504 |
| 13 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 473 |
| 14 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 465 |
| 15 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 457 |
| 16 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 456 |
| 17 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 446 |
| 18 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 437 |
| 19 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 406 |
| 20 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 404 |
Records by month
What to put out in Ardleigh
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Essex
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 Ardleigh?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Ardleigh are Woodpigeon, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Blackbird and Magpie, based on 23,843 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Ardleigh?
162 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Ardleigh?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:35.
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.