Birds of Catford
What has actually been seen around Catford: 150 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 150 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 55,148 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 22 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Catford
150 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Catford (Greater London) since 2010, across 55,148 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Rose-ringed Parakeet and Carrion Crow.
Catford is a garden-bird place: 66% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie and Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
11 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Kestrel 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 2.5 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.
Beckenham, 4 km to the south, has fewer species on record (129 against 150).
Daylight runs from 16 h 38 min at midsummer to 7 h 50 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 Catford
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 2,965 |
| 2 | Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri | 2,921 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 2,857 |
| 4 | MagpiePica pica | 2,845 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 2,691 |
| 6 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 2,221 |
| 7 | Great TitParus major | 2,080 |
| 8 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,924 |
| 9 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,849 |
| 10 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 1,681 |
| 11 | SwiftApus apus | 1,641 |
| 12 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 1,578 |
| 13 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,575 |
| 14 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 1,303 |
| 15 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,195 |
| 16 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 1,186 |
| 17 | Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiaca | 1,141 |
| 18 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 1,112 |
| 19 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 1,046 |
| 20 | JayGarrulus glandarius | 1,003 |
Records by month
What to put out in Catford
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 Catford?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Catford are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Robin and Rock Pigeon, based on 55,148 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Catford?
150 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Catford?
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.