Birds of Upminster
What has actually been seen around Upminster: 174 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 174 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 34,135 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 19 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Upminster
174 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Upminster (Greater London) since 2010, across 34,135 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Magpie and Robin.
Upminster is a garden-bird place: 67% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Magpie, Robin and Blue Tit make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
14 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel 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 January and are lowest in August — about 4.1 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.
Romford, 5 km to the north-west, has a similar number of species on record (175 against 174).
Daylight runs from 16 h 39 min at midsummer to 7 h 49 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:05 in mid-April and 4:40 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Upminster
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,337 |
| 2 | MagpiePica pica | 1,330 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,237 |
| 4 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,217 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,179 |
| 6 | Great TitParus major | 964 |
| 7 | Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri | 912 |
| 8 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 910 |
| 9 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 860 |
| 10 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 799 |
| 11 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 750 |
| 12 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 733 |
| 13 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 711 |
| 14 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 693 |
| 15 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 684 |
| 16 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 671 |
| 17 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 652 |
| 18 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 627 |
| 19 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 591 |
| 20 | Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis | 590 |
Records by month
What to put out in Upminster
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 Upminster?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Upminster are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Robin, Blue Tit and Carrion Crow, based on 34,135 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Upminster?
174 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Upminster?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in August. Sunrise in late June is around 4:40.
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.