Birds of Hatfield
What has actually been seen around Hatfield: 185 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 185 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 89,679 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 84 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Hatfield
185 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Hatfield (Hertfordshire) since 2010, across 89,679 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Jackdaw and Magpie.
Hatfield is a garden-bird place: 63% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Magpie and Blue Tit make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
14 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel.
Records peak in April and are lowest in October — about 3.1 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.
Welwyn Garden City, 4 km to the north, has fewer species on record (169 against 185).
Daylight runs from 16 h 41 min at midsummer to 7 h 47 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:06 in mid-April and 4:41 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Hatfield
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 3,342 |
| 2 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 2,907 |
| 3 | MagpiePica pica | 2,833 |
| 4 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 2,700 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 2,681 |
| 6 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 2,628 |
| 7 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 2,584 |
| 8 | Great TitParus major | 2,131 |
| 9 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 2,018 |
| 10 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 2,008 |
| 11 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,948 |
| 12 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 1,907 |
| 13 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,901 |
| 14 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 1,886 |
| 15 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 1,484 |
| 16 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 1,470 |
| 17 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 1,469 |
| 18 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 1,361 |
| 19 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 1,360 |
| 20 | Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri | 1,341 |
Records by month
What to put out in Hatfield
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Hertfordshire
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 Hatfield?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Hatfield are Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Magpie, Blue Tit and Carrion Crow, based on 89,679 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Hatfield?
185 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Hatfield?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in October. Sunrise in late June is around 4:41.
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.