Birds of Great Leighs
What has actually been seen around Great Leighs: 143 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 143 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 7,759 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Blue Tit
- Busiest month
- June
- Elevation
- 66 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Great Leighs
143 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Great Leighs (Essex) since 2010, across 7,759 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Blue Tit, Robin and Woodpigeon.
Great Leighs is a garden-bird place: 65% 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 Great Tit make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
11 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Red Kite.
Records peak in June and are lowest in October — about 4.3 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.
Great Waltham, 5 km to the south-west, has fewer species on record (136 against 143).
Daylight runs from 16 h 42 min at midsummer to 7 h 46 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:03 in mid-April and 4:38 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Great Leighs
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 343 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 323 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 311 |
| 4 | Great TitParus major | 296 |
| 5 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 282 |
| 6 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 281 |
| 7 | MagpiePica pica | 246 |
| 8 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 241 |
| 9 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 214 |
| 10 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 212 |
| 11 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 181 |
| 12 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 159 |
| 13 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 154 |
| 14 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 149 |
| 15 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 144 |
| 16 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 136 |
| 17 | Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis | 133 |
| 18 | Stock DoveColumba oenas | 130 |
| 19 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 126 |
| 20 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 124 |
Records by month
What to put out in Great Leighs
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 Great Leighs?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Great Leighs are Blue Tit, Robin, Woodpigeon, Great Tit and Blackbird, based on 7,759 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Great Leighs?
143 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 Leighs?
Observation records peak in June and are lowest in October. Sunrise in late June is around 4:38.
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.