Birds of Beckenham
What has actually been seen around Beckenham: 129 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 129 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 35,094 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 45 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Beckenham
129 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Beckenham (Greater London) since 2010, across 35,094 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Magpie and Rose-ringed Parakeet.
Beckenham 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, Magpie, Robin and Carrion Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel, Eurasian Sparrowhawk and Common Buzzard. 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 November — about 3.6 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.
Shirley, 4 km to the south-west, has a similar number of species on record (127 against 129).
Daylight runs from 16 h 37 min at midsummer to 7 h 51 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 Beckenham
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,808 |
| 2 | MagpiePica pica | 1,777 |
| 3 | Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri | 1,750 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,736 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,685 |
| 6 | SwiftApus apus | 1,419 |
| 7 | Great TitParus major | 1,256 |
| 8 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,206 |
| 9 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,122 |
| 10 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 1,028 |
| 11 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 995 |
| 12 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 947 |
| 13 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 941 |
| 14 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 855 |
| 15 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 765 |
| 16 | Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiaca | 702 |
| 17 | JayGarrulus glandarius | 689 |
| 18 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 668 |
| 19 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 626 |
| 20 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 624 |
Records by month
What to put out in Beckenham
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 Beckenham?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Beckenham are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Robin, Carrion Crow and Great Tit, based on 35,094 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Beckenham?
129 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Beckenham?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in November. 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.