Birds of Harlow
What has actually been seen around Harlow: 129 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 129 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 8,630 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 68 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Harlow
129 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Harlow (Essex) since 2010, across 8,630 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Magpie and Blue Tit.
Harlow is a garden-bird place: 71% 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.
10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Common Buzzard 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 April and are lowest in August — about 12.3 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.
Hastingwood, 4 km to the south-east, has fewer species on record (101 against 129). Birds logged far more often around Harlow than there include Great Cormorant, Common Reed Bunting, Cetti's Warbler and Meadow Pipit.
Daylight runs from 16 h 42 min at midsummer to 7 h 47 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 Harlow
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 533 |
| 2 | MagpiePica pica | 450 |
| 3 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 366 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 362 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 344 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 321 |
| 7 | Great TitParus major | 249 |
| 8 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 239 |
| 9 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 213 |
| 10 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 209 |
| 11 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 207 |
| 12 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 204 |
| 13 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 189 |
| 14 | SwiftApus apus | 188 |
| 15 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 176 |
| 16 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 173 |
| 17 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 163 |
| 18 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 161 |
| 19 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 157 |
| 20 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 156 |
Records by month
What to put out in Harlow
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 Harlow?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Harlow are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Blue Tit, Robin and Carrion Crow, based on 8,630 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Harlow?
129 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Harlow?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in August. 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.