Birds of Acton
What has actually been seen around Acton: 226 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 226 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 276,993 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 30 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Acton
226 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Acton (Greater London) since 2010, across 276,993 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Magpie and Robin.
Water shapes this list. 45% of records near Acton are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Black-headed Gull, Common Moorhen and Mallard lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.
14 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel.
Records peak in April and are lowest in August — about 2.1 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.
West Ealing, 3 km to the west, has fewer species on record (168 against 226). Birds logged far more often around Acton than there include Northern Lapwing, Gadwall, Northern Shoveler and Common Pochard.
Daylight runs from 16 h 39 min at midsummer to 7 h 50 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:07 in mid-April and 4:43 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Acton
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 9,292 |
| 2 | MagpiePica pica | 9,004 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 8,863 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 8,846 |
| 5 | Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri | 8,823 |
| 6 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 7,611 |
| 7 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 7,430 |
| 8 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 7,374 |
| 9 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 7,266 |
| 10 | Great TitParus major | 7,175 |
| 11 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 6,982 |
| 12 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 6,937 |
| 13 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 6,839 |
| 14 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 6,295 |
| 15 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 6,262 |
| 16 | Tufted DuckAythya fuligula | 6,228 |
| 17 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 6,133 |
| 18 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 5,891 |
| 19 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 5,715 |
| 20 | Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiaca | 5,519 |
Records by month
What to put out in Acton
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Greater London
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 Acton?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Acton are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Robin, Carrion Crow and Rock Pigeon, based on 276,993 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Acton?
226 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Acton?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in August. Sunrise in late June is around 4:43.
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.