Birds of Markyate
What has actually been seen around Markyate: 116 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 116 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 10,334 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 133 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Markyate
116 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Markyate (Hertfordshire) since 2010, across 10,334 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blue Tit and Red Kite.
Markyate is a garden-bird place: 80% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blue Tit, Blackbird 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 January and are lowest in August — about 4.3 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.
Caddington, 3 km to the north, has more species on record (125 against 116). Birds logged far more often around Markyate than there include Tufted Duck.
Daylight runs from 16 h 42 min at midsummer to 7 h 46 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 Markyate
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 556 |
| 2 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 475 |
| 3 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 472 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 465 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 435 |
| 6 | MagpiePica pica | 416 |
| 7 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 402 |
| 8 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 383 |
| 9 | Great TitParus major | 360 |
| 10 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 300 |
| 11 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 291 |
| 12 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 283 |
| 13 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 269 |
| 14 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 255 |
| 15 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 245 |
| 16 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 231 |
| 17 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 229 |
| 18 | Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensis | 208 |
| 19 | JayGarrulus glandarius | 192 |
| 20 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 153 |
Records by month
What to put out in Markyate
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 Markyate?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Markyate are Woodpigeon, Blue Tit, Blackbird, Robin and Magpie, based on 10,334 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Markyate?
116 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Markyate?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in August. 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.