Birds of Epping
What has actually been seen around Epping: 103 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 103 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 2,973 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 110 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Epping
103 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Epping (Essex) since 2010, across 2,973 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Magpie and Carrion Crow.
Epping is a garden-bird place: 74% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Magpie, Carrion Crow and Jackdaw make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Red Kite 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 July — about 3.3 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.
Abridge, 6 km to the south, has more species on record (129 against 103).
Daylight runs from 16 h 41 min at midsummer to 7 h 48 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:05 in mid-April and 4:40 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Epping
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 149 |
| 2 | MagpiePica pica | 145 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 136 |
| 4 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 125 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 116 |
| 6 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 111 |
| 7 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 110 |
| 8 | Great TitParus major | 98 |
| 9 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 84 |
| 10 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 79 |
| 11 | SwiftApus apus | 73 |
| 12 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 72 |
| 13 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 67 |
| 14 | Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus | 66 |
| 15 | JayGarrulus glandarius | 63 |
| 16 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 58 |
| 17 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 52 |
| 18 | Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis | 50 |
| 19 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 49 |
| 20 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 49 |
Records by month
What to put out in Epping
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 Epping?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Epping are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw and Robin, based on 2,973 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Epping?
103 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Epping?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in July. 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.