Birds of Royston
What has actually been seen around Royston: 128 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 128 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 13,297 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 65 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.7 h
What the records say about Royston
128 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Royston (Hertfordshire) since 2010, across 13,297 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Jackdaw and Blackbird.
Royston is a garden-bird place: 79% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Blackbird and Rook make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
15 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 November — about 2.6 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.
Bassingbourn, 4 km to the north-west, has more species on record (163 against 128).
Daylight runs from 16 h 45 min at midsummer to 7 h 44 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:05 in mid-April and 4:39 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Royston
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 696 |
| 2 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 532 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 502 |
| 4 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 473 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 470 |
| 6 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 462 |
| 7 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 442 |
| 8 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 408 |
| 9 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 396 |
| 10 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 376 |
| 11 | MagpiePica pica | 355 |
| 12 | Great TitParus major | 353 |
| 13 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 319 |
| 14 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 313 |
| 15 | GreenfinchChloris chloris | 307 |
| 16 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 301 |
| 17 | SwiftApus apus | 291 |
| 18 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 289 |
| 19 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 274 |
| 20 | Stock DoveColumba oenas | 267 |
Records by month
What to put out in Royston
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 Royston?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Royston are Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Blackbird, Rook and Blue Tit, based on 13,297 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Royston?
128 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Royston?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:39.
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.