Birds of Surbiton
What has actually been seen around Surbiton: 179 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 179 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 154,779 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- December
- Elevation
- 40 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Surbiton
179 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Surbiton (Greater London) since 2010, across 154,779 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Robin and Carrion Crow.
Surbiton is a garden-bird place: 70% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Robin, 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, 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 December and are lowest in September — about 2.0 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.
Chessington, 3 km to the south, has fewer species on record (157 against 179).
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 Surbiton
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 8,509 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 7,823 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 7,409 |
| 4 | Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri | 7,052 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 6,917 |
| 6 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 6,646 |
| 7 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 6,610 |
| 8 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 6,170 |
| 9 | Great TitParus major | 6,031 |
| 10 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 5,232 |
| 11 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 5,145 |
| 12 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 5,034 |
| 13 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 5,028 |
| 14 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 4,589 |
| 15 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 4,443 |
| 16 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 3,656 |
| 17 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 3,277 |
| 18 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 3,059 |
| 19 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 2,732 |
| 20 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 2,694 |
Records by month
What to put out in Surbiton
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 Surbiton?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Surbiton are Woodpigeon, Robin, Carrion Crow, Magpie and Jackdaw, based on 154,779 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Surbiton?
179 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Surbiton?
Observation records peak in December and are lowest in September. 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.