Birds of Crystal Palace
What has actually been seen around Crystal Palace: 159 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 159 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 119,260 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 110 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Crystal Palace
159 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Crystal Palace (Greater London) since 2010, across 119,260 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow and Magpie.
Crystal Palace is a garden-bird place: 65% 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.
13 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 December — about 2.1 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.
Streatham, 4 km to the west, has more species on record (175 against 159).
Daylight runs from 16 h 38 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 Crystal Palace
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 5,252 |
| 2 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 5,210 |
| 3 | MagpiePica pica | 5,135 |
| 4 | Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri | 5,132 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 4,910 |
| 6 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 4,300 |
| 7 | Great TitParus major | 4,135 |
| 8 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 3,993 |
| 9 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 3,734 |
| 10 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 3,656 |
| 11 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 3,549 |
| 12 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 3,362 |
| 13 | Tufted DuckAythya fuligula | 3,352 |
| 14 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 3,304 |
| 15 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 3,163 |
| 16 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 2,709 |
| 17 | Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiaca | 2,569 |
| 18 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 2,450 |
| 19 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 2,390 |
| 20 | SwiftApus apus | 2,389 |
Records by month
What to put out in Crystal Palace
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 Crystal Palace?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Crystal Palace are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Robin and Rock Pigeon, based on 119,260 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Crystal Palace?
159 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Crystal Palace?
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.