Birds of Finchley
What has actually been seen around Finchley: 211 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 211 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 362,042 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 93 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Finchley
211 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Finchley (Greater London) since 2010, across 362,042 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Robin and Magpie.
Finchley is a garden-bird place: 67% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Robin, Magpie and Carrion Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
17 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 July — 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.
Cricklewood, 5 km to the south, has more species on record (223 against 211).
Daylight runs from 16 h 40 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 Finchley
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 15,671 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 14,617 |
| 3 | MagpiePica pica | 14,319 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 12,888 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 12,757 |
| 6 | Great TitParus major | 11,801 |
| 7 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 10,879 |
| 8 | Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri | 10,795 |
| 9 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 10,088 |
| 10 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 10,082 |
| 11 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 9,088 |
| 12 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 7,179 |
| 13 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 7,090 |
| 14 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 6,937 |
| 15 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 6,617 |
| 16 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 6,497 |
| 17 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 6,439 |
| 18 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 6,013 |
| 19 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 5,871 |
| 20 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 5,714 |
Records by month
What to put out in Finchley
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 Finchley?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Finchley are Woodpigeon, Robin, Magpie, Carrion Crow and Blue Tit, based on 362,042 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Finchley?
211 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Finchley?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in July. 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.