Birds of Hitchin
What has actually been seen around Hitchin: 141 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 141 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 63,250 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 77 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Hitchin
141 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Hitchin (Hertfordshire) since 2010, across 63,250 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blue Tit and Great Tit.
Hitchin is a garden-bird place: 87% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blue Tit, Great Tit and Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
11 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 2.0 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.
Little Wymondley, 4 km to the south-east, has more species on record (156 against 141).
Daylight runs from 16 h 44 min at midsummer to 7 h 45 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:06 in mid-April and 4:40 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Hitchin
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 4,996 |
| 2 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 4,940 |
| 3 | Great TitParus major | 4,424 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 3,746 |
| 5 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 3,393 |
| 6 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 3,234 |
| 7 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 3,109 |
| 8 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 2,665 |
| 9 | MagpiePica pica | 2,300 |
| 10 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,973 |
| 11 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 1,621 |
| 12 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,509 |
| 13 | GreenfinchChloris chloris | 1,459 |
| 14 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 1,450 |
| 15 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 1,314 |
| 16 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 1,026 |
| 17 | Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major | 859 |
| 18 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 855 |
| 19 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 836 |
| 20 | Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis | 786 |
Records by month
What to put out in Hitchin
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 Hitchin?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Hitchin are Woodpigeon, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Robin and Blackbird, based on 63,250 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Hitchin?
141 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Hitchin?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in September. 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.