Birds of Great Horkesley
What has actually been seen around Great Horkesley: 124 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 124 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 7,874 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 53 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Great Horkesley
124 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Great Horkesley (Essex) since 2010, across 7,874 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Magpie and Blue Tit.
Great Horkesley is a garden-bird place: 77% 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 Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
13 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Red Kite. 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 October — about 4.8 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.
West Bergholt, 3 km to the south-west, has more species on record (166 against 124). Birds logged far more often around Great Horkesley than there include Waxwing.
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 4:36 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Great Horkesley
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 405 |
| 2 | MagpiePica pica | 345 |
| 3 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 340 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 310 |
| 5 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 293 |
| 6 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 280 |
| 7 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 229 |
| 8 | Great TitParus major | 229 |
| 9 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 218 |
| 10 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 212 |
| 11 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 201 |
| 12 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 196 |
| 13 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 177 |
| 14 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 177 |
| 15 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 172 |
| 16 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 166 |
| 17 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 165 |
| 18 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 155 |
| 19 | Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis | 150 |
| 20 | JayGarrulus glandarius | 144 |
Records by month
What to put out in Great Horkesley
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
- Great Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts · Suet
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 Great Horkesley?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Great Horkesley are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Blue Tit, Robin and Blackbird, based on 7,874 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Great Horkesley?
124 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Great Horkesley?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in October. Sunrise in late June is around 4:36.
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.