Birds of Hatfield Heath
What has actually been seen around Hatfield Heath: 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
- 4,758 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 82 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Hatfield Heath
124 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Hatfield Heath (Essex) since 2010, across 4,758 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow and Magpie.
Hatfield Heath is a garden-bird place: 67% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
10 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 April and are lowest in August — about 23.6 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.
Sawbridgeworth, 4 km to the west, has a similar number of species on record (123 against 124).
Daylight runs from 16 h 42 min at midsummer to 7 h 47 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:04 in mid-April and 4:39 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Hatfield Heath
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 166 |
| 2 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 132 |
| 3 | MagpiePica pica | 131 |
| 4 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 128 |
| 5 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 125 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 124 |
| 7 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 120 |
| 8 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 117 |
| 9 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 117 |
| 10 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 116 |
| 11 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 105 |
| 12 | SwiftApus apus | 105 |
| 13 | Great TitParus major | 105 |
| 14 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 104 |
| 15 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 95 |
| 16 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 95 |
| 17 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 90 |
| 18 | Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus | 90 |
| 19 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 86 |
| 20 | Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major | 83 |
Records by month
What to put out in Hatfield Heath
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 Hatfield Heath?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Hatfield Heath are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Blackbird and Robin, based on 4,758 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Hatfield Heath?
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 Hatfield Heath?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in August. Sunrise in late June is around 4:39.
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.