Birds of Erith
What has actually been seen around Erith: 252 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 252 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 315,074 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Black-headed Gull
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 8 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Erith
252 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Erith (Greater London) since 2010, across 315,074 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Black-headed Gull, Carrion Crow and Mallard.
Water shapes this list. 50% of records near Erith are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Black-headed Gull, Mallard and Northern Lapwing lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Carrion Crow is still the most logged garden bird.
16 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel and Eurasian Marsh-Harrier.
Records peak in April and are lowest in February — 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.
Rainham, 4 km to the north, has a similar number of species on record (255 against 252).
Daylight runs from 16 h 38 min at midsummer to 7 h 50 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:05 in mid-April and 4:41 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Erith
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 6,823 |
| 2 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 6,771 |
| 3 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 6,724 |
| 4 | MagpiePica pica | 6,499 |
| 5 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 6,399 |
| 6 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 6,267 |
| 7 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 6,217 |
| 8 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 6,052 |
| 9 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 5,666 |
| 10 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 5,570 |
| 11 | Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna | 5,532 |
| 12 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 5,513 |
| 13 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 5,511 |
| 14 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 5,474 |
| 15 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 5,243 |
| 16 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 5,164 |
| 17 | Graylag GooseAnser anser | 5,154 |
| 18 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 5,103 |
| 19 | Eurasian TealAnas crecca | 4,992 |
| 20 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 4,978 |
Records by month
What to put out in Erith
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Starling
Suet · Mealworms
- Goldfinch
Nyjer seed · Sunflower hearts
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
- Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
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 Erith?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Erith are Carrion Crow, Magpie, Woodpigeon, Starling and Goldfinch, based on 315,074 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Erith?
252 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Erith?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 4:41.
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.