Birds of Belsize Park
What has actually been seen around Belsize Park: 218 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 218 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 355,018 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 67 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Belsize Park
218 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Belsize Park (Greater London) since 2010, across 355,018 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Rock Pigeon and Magpie.
Water shapes this list. 40% of records near Belsize Park are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Eurasian Coot, Egyptian Goose and Common Moorhen lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.
16 birds of prey are on record nearby, including 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 December — about 1.9 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.
Cricklewood, 3 km to the west, has more species on record (223 against 218).
Daylight runs from 16 h 39 min at midsummer to 7 h 49 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 Belsize Park
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 15,935 |
| 2 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 15,408 |
| 3 | MagpiePica pica | 14,835 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 14,409 |
| 5 | Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri | 13,072 |
| 6 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 12,665 |
| 7 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 12,640 |
| 8 | Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiaca | 10,449 |
| 9 | Great TitParus major | 10,254 |
| 10 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 9,931 |
| 11 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 9,803 |
| 12 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 9,583 |
| 13 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 9,579 |
| 14 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 9,572 |
| 15 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 9,391 |
| 16 | Tufted DuckAythya fuligula | 9,107 |
| 17 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 9,104 |
| 18 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 8,775 |
| 19 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 8,207 |
| 20 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 7,994 |
Records by month
What to put out in Belsize Park
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 Belsize Park?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Belsize Park are Woodpigeon, Rock Pigeon, Magpie, Carrion Crow and Robin, based on 355,018 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Belsize Park?
218 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Belsize Park?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in December. 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.