Birds of Harrow
What has actually been seen around Harrow: 123 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 123 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 18,062 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- June
- Elevation
- 69 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Harrow
123 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Harrow (Greater London) since 2010, across 18,062 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, House Sparrow and Starling.
Harrow is a garden-bird place: 76% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, House Sparrow, Starling and Magpie make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Eurasian Sparrowhawk 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 June and are lowest in August — about 3.4 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.
Harrow Weald, 4 km to the north, has more species on record (159 against 123). Birds logged far more often around Harrow than there include Willow Warbler.
Daylight runs from 16 h 39 min at midsummer to 7 h 49 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:07 in mid-April and 4:42 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Harrow
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,398 |
| 2 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 1,217 |
| 3 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 1,050 |
| 4 | MagpiePica pica | 945 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 899 |
| 6 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 873 |
| 7 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 787 |
| 8 | Great TitParus major | 785 |
| 9 | Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri | 784 |
| 10 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 774 |
| 11 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 747 |
| 12 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 594 |
| 13 | SwiftApus apus | 425 |
| 14 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 419 |
| 15 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 324 |
| 16 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 315 |
| 17 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 303 |
| 18 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 298 |
| 19 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 283 |
| 20 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 255 |
Records by month
What to put out in Harrow
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
- Starling
Suet · Mealworms
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- Goldfinch
Nyjer seed · Sunflower hearts
- 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 Harrow?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Harrow are Woodpigeon, House Sparrow, Starling, Magpie and Robin, based on 18,062 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Harrow?
123 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Harrow?
Observation records peak in June and are lowest in August. 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.