Birds of Purley
What has actually been seen around Purley: 172 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 172 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 73,041 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Robin
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 97 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Purley
172 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Purley (Greater London) since 2010, across 73,041 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Robin, Woodpigeon and Carrion Crow.
Purley 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. Robin, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow and Magpie make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
14 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel, Common Buzzard 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 August — about 1.9 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.
Warlingham, 5 km to the south-east, has fewer species on record (102 against 172). Birds logged far more often around Purley than there include Eurasian Coot, Canada Goose, Gray Heron and Egyptian Goose.
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 4:43 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Purley
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 3,609 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 3,487 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 3,246 |
| 4 | MagpiePica pica | 2,986 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 2,907 |
| 6 | Great TitParus major | 2,826 |
| 7 | Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri | 2,715 |
| 8 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 2,619 |
| 9 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 2,475 |
| 10 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 2,337 |
| 11 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 1,980 |
| 12 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 1,738 |
| 13 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 1,726 |
| 14 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,713 |
| 15 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 1,641 |
| 16 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,422 |
| 17 | RedwingTurdus iliacus | 1,267 |
| 18 | GoldcrestRegulus regulus | 1,262 |
| 19 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 1,254 |
| 20 | Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major | 1,253 |
Records by month
What to put out in Purley
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 Purley?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Purley are Robin, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie and Blue Tit, based on 73,041 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Purley?
172 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Purley?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in August. 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.