Birds of West Horndon
What has actually been seen around West Horndon: 119 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 119 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 8,287 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Magpie
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 58 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about West Horndon
119 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of West Horndon (Essex) since 2010, across 8,287 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Magpie, Blue Tit and Woodpigeon.
West Horndon is a garden-bird place: 79% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Magpie, Blue Tit, Woodpigeon and Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
9 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Eurasian Sparrowhawk. 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 5.5 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.
Bulphan, 3 km to the south-east, has more species on record (128 against 119). Birds logged far more often around West Horndon than there include Egyptian Goose and Red Kite.
Daylight runs from 16 h 39 min at midsummer to 7 h 49 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:04 in mid-April and 4:40 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near West Horndon
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MagpiePica pica | 430 |
| 2 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 422 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 419 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 407 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 398 |
| 6 | Great TitParus major | 324 |
| 7 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 294 |
| 8 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 254 |
| 9 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 222 |
| 10 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 207 |
| 11 | Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major | 197 |
| 12 | NuthatchSitta europaea | 179 |
| 13 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 179 |
| 14 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 174 |
| 15 | JayGarrulus glandarius | 171 |
| 16 | Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis | 161 |
| 17 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 158 |
| 18 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 154 |
| 19 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 150 |
| 20 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 149 |
Records by month
What to put out in West Horndon
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 West Horndon?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of West Horndon are Magpie, Blue Tit, Woodpigeon, Robin and Carrion Crow, based on 8,287 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near West Horndon?
119 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in West Horndon?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in September. 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.