Birds of Orpington
What has actually been seen around Orpington: 108 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 108 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 10,778 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 62 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Orpington
108 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Orpington (Greater London) since 2010, across 10,778 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Robin and Magpie.
Orpington 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, Robin, Magpie and Carrion Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
8 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Red Kite and Common Kestrel. 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 September — about 4.7 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.
Chislehurst, 5 km to the north-west, has more species on record (116 against 108). Birds logged far more often around Orpington than there include Mandarin Duck and Eurasian Skylark.
Daylight runs from 16 h 37 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 Orpington
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 783 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 671 |
| 3 | MagpiePica pica | 658 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 572 |
| 5 | Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri | 524 |
| 6 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 519 |
| 7 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 459 |
| 8 | Great TitParus major | 416 |
| 9 | SwiftApus apus | 367 |
| 10 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 311 |
| 11 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 272 |
| 12 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 237 |
| 13 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 221 |
| 14 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 211 |
| 15 | JayGarrulus glandarius | 206 |
| 16 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 204 |
| 17 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 194 |
| 18 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 191 |
| 19 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 176 |
| 20 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 175 |
Records by month
What to put out in Orpington
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 Orpington?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Orpington are Woodpigeon, Robin, Magpie, Carrion Crow and Blue Tit, based on 10,778 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Orpington?
108 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Orpington?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in September. 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.