Birds of Halstead
What has actually been seen around Halstead: 96 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 96 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 2,389 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Robin
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 53 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Halstead
96 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Halstead (Essex) since 2010, across 2,389 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Robin, Woodpigeon and Blue Tit.
Halstead is a garden-bird place: 76% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Robin, Woodpigeon, Blue Tit and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
9 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 May and are lowest in November — about 6.6 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.
Gosfield, 3 km to the west, has more species on record (102 against 96).
Daylight runs from 16 h 44 min at midsummer to 7 h 45 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:02 in mid-April and 4:37 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Halstead
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 138 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 124 |
| 3 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 112 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 94 |
| 5 | Great TitParus major | 85 |
| 6 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 80 |
| 7 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 78 |
| 8 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 78 |
| 9 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 74 |
| 10 | SwiftApus apus | 71 |
| 11 | MagpiePica pica | 66 |
| 12 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 55 |
| 13 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 54 |
| 14 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 53 |
| 15 | BlackcapSylvia atricapilla | 50 |
| 16 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 46 |
| 17 | NuthatchSitta europaea | 45 |
| 18 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 45 |
| 19 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 43 |
| 20 | Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis | 38 |
Records by month
What to put out in Halstead
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 Halstead?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Halstead are Robin, Woodpigeon, Blue Tit, Blackbird and Great Tit, based on 2,389 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Halstead?
96 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Halstead?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:37.
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.