Birds of Hertford
What has actually been seen around Hertford: 169 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 169 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 42,858 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 45 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Hertford
169 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Hertford (Hertfordshire) since 2010, across 42,858 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Robin and Blue Tit.
Hertford 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, Robin, Blue Tit and Magpie make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
13 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel.
Records peak in January and are lowest in October — about 3.5 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.
Ware, 4 km to the north-east, has more species on record (226 against 169). Birds logged far more often around Hertford than there include House Sparrow, Eurasian Skylark and Meadow Pipit.
Daylight runs from 16 h 42 min at midsummer to 7 h 47 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 Hertford
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,555 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,479 |
| 3 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,390 |
| 4 | MagpiePica pica | 1,334 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,241 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,179 |
| 7 | Great TitParus major | 1,149 |
| 8 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,112 |
| 9 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,108 |
| 10 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,098 |
| 11 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 950 |
| 12 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 930 |
| 13 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 914 |
| 14 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 896 |
| 15 | SwiftApus apus | 891 |
| 16 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 878 |
| 17 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 859 |
| 18 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 841 |
| 19 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 643 |
| 20 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 635 |
Records by month
What to put out in Hertford
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 Hertford?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Hertford are Woodpigeon, Robin, Blue Tit, Magpie and Carrion Crow, based on 42,858 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Hertford?
169 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Hertford?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in October. 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.