Birds of Great Waltham
What has actually been seen around Great Waltham: 136 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 136 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 4,683 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 45 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Great Waltham
136 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Great Waltham (Essex) since 2010, across 4,683 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Robin and Blue Tit.
The records split between garden birds (59%) and waterbirds (31%), so a feeder in Great Waltham sees the familiar Woodpigeon, Robin and Blue Tit, while Lesser Black-backed Gull and others turn up on nearby water.
11 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 April and are lowest in September — about 8.1 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.
Ford End, 4 km to the north-west, has fewer species on record (102 against 136). Birds logged far more often around Great Waltham than there include Lesser Black-backed Gull, Black-headed Gull, Graylag Goose and Tufted Duck.
Daylight runs from 16 h 42 min at midsummer to 7 h 47 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 Waltham
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 183 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 174 |
| 3 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 168 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 160 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 145 |
| 6 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 132 |
| 7 | Great TitParus major | 132 |
| 8 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 122 |
| 9 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 111 |
| 10 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 101 |
| 11 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 98 |
| 12 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 94 |
| 13 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 94 |
| 14 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 90 |
| 15 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 89 |
| 16 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 89 |
| 17 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 84 |
| 18 | Graylag GooseAnser anser | 81 |
| 19 | Tufted DuckAythya fuligula | 80 |
| 20 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 77 |
Records by month
What to put out in Great Waltham
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 Waltham?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Great Waltham are Woodpigeon, Robin, Blue Tit, Blackbird and Magpie, based on 4,683 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Great Waltham?
136 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 Waltham?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in September. 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.