Birds of Basildon
What has actually been seen around Basildon: 191 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 191 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 48,437 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Blue Tit
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 31 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Basildon
191 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Basildon (Essex) since 2010, across 48,437 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Blue Tit, Robin and Woodpigeon.
Basildon 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. Blue Tit, Robin, Woodpigeon and Magpie make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
14 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Eurasian Sparrowhawk. 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 May and are lowest in December — about 4.0 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.
Pitsea, 4 km to the east, has more species on record (203 against 191). Birds logged far more often around Basildon than there include Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jay, Goldcrest and Nuthatch.
Daylight runs from 16 h 39 min at midsummer to 7 h 49 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:04 in mid-April and 4:39 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Basildon
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 2,435 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 2,325 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 2,072 |
| 4 | MagpiePica pica | 1,795 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,753 |
| 6 | Great TitParus major | 1,697 |
| 7 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,691 |
| 8 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,638 |
| 9 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 1,187 |
| 10 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 1,063 |
| 11 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,056 |
| 12 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 1,044 |
| 13 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 993 |
| 14 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 927 |
| 15 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 887 |
| 16 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 882 |
| 17 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 866 |
| 18 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 829 |
| 19 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 818 |
| 20 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 790 |
Records by month
What to put out in Basildon
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 Basildon?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Basildon are Blue Tit, Robin, Woodpigeon, Magpie and Carrion Crow, based on 48,437 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Basildon?
191 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Basildon?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:39.
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.