Birds of Chessington
What has actually been seen around Chessington: 157 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 157 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 119,901 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- March
- Elevation
- 44 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Chessington
157 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Chessington (Greater London) since 2010, across 119,901 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Robin and Carrion Crow.
Chessington is a garden-bird place: 75% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Robin, Carrion Crow and Blue Tit make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
13 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel, Common Buzzard 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 March and are lowest in September — about 1.8 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.
Surbiton, 3 km to the north, has more species on record (179 against 157).
Daylight runs from 16 h 37 min at midsummer to 7 h 51 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:07 in mid-April and 4:44 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Chessington
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 7,104 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 6,790 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 5,993 |
| 4 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 5,952 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 5,753 |
| 6 | Great TitParus major | 5,414 |
| 7 | Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri | 5,152 |
| 8 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 5,065 |
| 9 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 4,829 |
| 10 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 4,791 |
| 11 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 4,551 |
| 12 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 4,288 |
| 13 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 4,115 |
| 14 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 3,885 |
| 15 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 3,853 |
| 16 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 2,891 |
| 17 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 2,315 |
| 18 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 1,882 |
| 19 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 1,623 |
| 20 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 1,602 |
Records by month
What to put out in Chessington
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 Chessington?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Chessington are Woodpigeon, Robin, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit and Magpie, based on 119,901 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Chessington?
157 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Chessington?
Observation records peak in March and are lowest in September. Sunrise in late June is around 4:44.
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.