Birds of Sutton
What has actually been seen around Sutton: 234 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 234 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 342,278 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 83 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Sutton
234 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Sutton (Greater London) since 2010, across 342,278 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow and Robin.
Sutton is a garden-bird place: 60% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Robin and Magpie make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
18 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 July — about 2.7 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.
Carshalton, 3 km to the north-east, has a similar number of species on record (235 against 234).
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 Sutton
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 9,492 |
| 2 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 9,363 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 9,224 |
| 4 | MagpiePica pica | 8,987 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 8,074 |
| 6 | Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri | 8,037 |
| 7 | Great TitParus major | 7,972 |
| 8 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 7,649 |
| 9 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 7,259 |
| 10 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 6,875 |
| 11 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 6,512 |
| 12 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 6,475 |
| 13 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 6,116 |
| 14 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 5,993 |
| 15 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 5,957 |
| 16 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 5,890 |
| 17 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 5,709 |
| 18 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 5,651 |
| 19 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 5,491 |
| 20 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 5,440 |
Records by month
What to put out in Sutton
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 Sutton?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Sutton are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Robin, Magpie and Blue Tit, based on 342,278 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Sutton?
234 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Sutton?
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.