Birds of Stepney
What has actually been seen around Stepney: 219 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 219 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 167,791 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Rock Pigeon
- Busiest month
- March
- Elevation
- 12 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Stepney
219 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Stepney (Greater London) since 2010, across 167,791 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Rock Pigeon, Carrion Crow and Woodpigeon.
The records split between garden birds (59%) and waterbirds (37%), so a feeder in Stepney sees the familiar Rock Pigeon, Carrion Crow and Woodpigeon, while European Herring Gull and others turn up on nearby water.
19 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel, Eurasian Sparrowhawk and Peregrine Falcon. 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 March and are lowest in September — about 1.7 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.
Canning Town, 4 km to the east, has fewer species on record (200 against 219).
Daylight runs from 16 h 39 min at midsummer to 7 h 50 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 Stepney
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 9,819 |
| 2 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 8,304 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 8,243 |
| 4 | MagpiePica pica | 7,111 |
| 5 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 6,136 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 5,847 |
| 7 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 5,802 |
| 8 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 5,411 |
| 9 | Great TitParus major | 5,241 |
| 10 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 5,223 |
| 11 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 5,154 |
| 12 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 5,144 |
| 13 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 4,900 |
| 14 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 4,672 |
| 15 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 4,616 |
| 16 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 4,209 |
| 17 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 4,199 |
| 18 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 3,821 |
| 19 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 3,820 |
| 20 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 3,658 |
Records by month
What to put out in Stepney
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 Stepney?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Stepney are Rock Pigeon, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Magpie and Blackbird, based on 167,791 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Stepney?
219 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Stepney?
Observation records peak in March 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.