Birds of Barnet
What has actually been seen around Barnet: 152 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 152 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 60,719 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 117 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Barnet
152 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Barnet (Greater London) since 2010, across 60,719 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Magpie and Carrion Crow.
Barnet is a garden-bird place: 72% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Magpie, Carrion Crow and Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
14 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 July — about 3.9 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.
Potters Bar, 5 km to the north, has fewer species on record (127 against 152). Birds logged far more often around Barnet than there include Little Owl, Bullfinch, Eurasian Teal and Northern Lapwing.
Daylight runs from 16 h 40 min at midsummer to 7 h 48 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:06 in mid-April and 4:42 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Barnet
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,925 |
| 2 | MagpiePica pica | 1,877 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,852 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,804 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,783 |
| 6 | Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri | 1,670 |
| 7 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,641 |
| 8 | Great TitParus major | 1,631 |
| 9 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,492 |
| 10 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,418 |
| 11 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,399 |
| 12 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 1,311 |
| 13 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 1,285 |
| 14 | Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major | 1,278 |
| 15 | Stock DoveColumba oenas | 1,237 |
| 16 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 1,227 |
| 17 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 1,202 |
| 18 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 1,186 |
| 19 | GoldcrestRegulus regulus | 1,146 |
| 20 | JayGarrulus glandarius | 1,118 |
Records by month
What to put out in Barnet
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 Barnet?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Barnet are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Robin and Blue Tit, based on 60,719 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Barnet?
152 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Barnet?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in July. Sunrise in late June is around 4:42.
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.