Birds of Meriden
What has actually been seen around Meriden: 130 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 130 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 15,053 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- March
- Elevation
- 73 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Meriden
130 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Meriden (Hertfordshire) since 2010, across 15,053 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Magpie and Robin.
Meriden is a garden-bird place: 68% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Magpie, Robin and Carrion Crow 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 March and are lowest in October — about 4.8 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.
Watford, 3 km to the south, has more species on record (160 against 130).
Daylight runs from 16 h 41 min at midsummer to 7 h 48 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 Meriden
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 746 |
| 2 | MagpiePica pica | 677 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 666 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 593 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 540 |
| 6 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 512 |
| 7 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 495 |
| 8 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 438 |
| 9 | Great TitParus major | 432 |
| 10 | Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri | 422 |
| 11 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 404 |
| 12 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 382 |
| 13 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 377 |
| 14 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 331 |
| 15 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 328 |
| 16 | JayGarrulus glandarius | 310 |
| 17 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 293 |
| 18 | SwiftApus apus | 291 |
| 19 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 269 |
| 20 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 264 |
Records by month
What to put out in Meriden
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 Meriden?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Meriden are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Robin, Carrion Crow and Blue Tit, based on 15,053 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Meriden?
130 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Meriden?
Observation records peak in March and are lowest in October. 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.