Birds of Hemel Hempstead
What has actually been seen around Hemel Hempstead: 149 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 149 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 28,345 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 138 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Hemel Hempstead
149 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Hemel Hempstead (Hertfordshire) since 2010, across 28,345 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blue Tit and Robin.
Hemel Hempstead is a garden-bird place: 75% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blue Tit, Robin and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
12 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel. 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 September — about 3.0 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.
Rucklers Lane, 3 km to the south, has fewer species on record (133 against 149). Birds logged far more often around Hemel Hempstead than there include Rook and Red-legged Partridge.
Daylight runs from 16 h 41 min at midsummer to 7 h 47 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:07 in mid-April and 4:42 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Hemel Hempstead
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,982 |
| 2 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,625 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,554 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,455 |
| 5 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 1,397 |
| 6 | MagpiePica pica | 1,393 |
| 7 | Great TitParus major | 1,081 |
| 8 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 986 |
| 9 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 979 |
| 10 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 924 |
| 11 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 922 |
| 12 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 760 |
| 13 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 672 |
| 14 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 642 |
| 15 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 592 |
| 16 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 542 |
| 17 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 541 |
| 18 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 541 |
| 19 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 508 |
| 20 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 437 |
Records by month
What to put out in Hemel Hempstead
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 Hemel Hempstead?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Hemel Hempstead are Woodpigeon, Blue Tit, Robin, Blackbird and Magpie, based on 28,345 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Hemel Hempstead?
149 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Hemel Hempstead?
Observation records peak in April 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.