Birds of Sawbridgeworth
What has actually been seen around Sawbridgeworth: 123 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 123 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 5,711 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 67 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Sawbridgeworth
123 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Sawbridgeworth (Hertfordshire) since 2010, across 5,711 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Magpie and Carrion Crow.
Sawbridgeworth is a garden-bird place: 70% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Magpie, Carrion Crow and Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Red Kite 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 August — about 11.4 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.
Hatfield Heath, 4 km to the east, has a similar number of species on record (124 against 123).
Daylight runs from 16 h 42 min at midsummer to 7 h 47 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:04 in mid-April and 4:39 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Sawbridgeworth
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 236 |
| 2 | MagpiePica pica | 199 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 186 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 180 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 174 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 170 |
| 7 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 157 |
| 8 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 148 |
| 9 | Great TitParus major | 147 |
| 10 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 144 |
| 11 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 141 |
| 12 | SwiftApus apus | 141 |
| 13 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 136 |
| 14 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 136 |
| 15 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 126 |
| 16 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 115 |
| 17 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 112 |
| 18 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 109 |
| 19 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 101 |
| 20 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 97 |
Records by month
What to put out in Sawbridgeworth
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 Sawbridgeworth?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Sawbridgeworth are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Robin and Blue Tit, based on 5,711 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Sawbridgeworth?
123 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Sawbridgeworth?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in August. 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.