Birds of Witham
What has actually been seen around Witham: 111 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 111 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 4,170 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Busiest month
- February
- Elevation
- 25 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Witham
111 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Witham (Essex) since 2010, across 4,170 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon and Robin.
Witham is a garden-bird place: 64% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Robin, Blackbird and Blue Tit make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
11 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 February and are lowest in November — about 5.3 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.
Wickham Bishops, 3 km to the south-east, has more species on record (150 against 111). Birds logged far more often around Witham than there include Red Kite and Red-legged Partridge.
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 4:37 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Witham
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 586 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 223 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 197 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 191 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 179 |
| 6 | MagpiePica pica | 125 |
| 7 | Great TitParus major | 122 |
| 8 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 113 |
| 9 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 110 |
| 10 | SwiftApus apus | 104 |
| 11 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 94 |
| 12 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 89 |
| 13 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 89 |
| 14 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 89 |
| 15 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 87 |
| 16 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 86 |
| 17 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 78 |
| 18 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 78 |
| 19 | Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major | 69 |
| 20 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 63 |
Records by month
What to put out in Witham
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 Witham?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Witham are Woodpigeon, Robin, Blackbird, Blue Tit and Magpie, based on 4,170 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Witham?
111 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Witham?
Observation records peak in February 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.