Birds of Mitcham
What has actually been seen around Mitcham: 233 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 233 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 385,422 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 22 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Mitcham
233 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Mitcham (Greater London) since 2010, across 385,422 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow and Robin.
The records split between garden birds (57%) and waterbirds (36%), so a feeder in Mitcham sees the familiar Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow and Robin, while Common Moorhen and others turn up on nearby water.
18 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel, 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 April and are lowest in July — about 2.5 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 north-east, has fewer species on record (175 against 233). Birds logged far more often around Mitcham than there include Gadwall, Eurasian Teal, Northern Lapwing and Common Pochard.
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 4:43 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Mitcham
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 12,252 |
| 2 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 11,605 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 11,395 |
| 4 | MagpiePica pica | 11,236 |
| 5 | Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri | 10,780 |
| 6 | Great TitParus major | 9,706 |
| 7 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 9,634 |
| 8 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 9,545 |
| 9 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 9,466 |
| 10 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 9,177 |
| 11 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 8,686 |
| 12 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 8,329 |
| 13 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 8,325 |
| 14 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 8,167 |
| 15 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 8,088 |
| 16 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 7,752 |
| 17 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 7,589 |
| 18 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 7,467 |
| 19 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 7,458 |
| 20 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 7,321 |
Records by month
What to put out in Mitcham
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 Mitcham?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Mitcham are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Robin, Magpie and Great Tit, based on 385,422 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Mitcham?
233 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Mitcham?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in July. Sunrise in late June is around 4:43.
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.