Birds of St Albans
What has actually been seen around St Albans: 183 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 183 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 101,520 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 98 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about St Albans
183 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of St Albans (Hertfordshire) since 2010, across 101,520 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Magpie and Blue Tit.
St Albans is a garden-bird place: 69% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Magpie, Blue Tit and Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
14 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel.
Records peak in April and are lowest in November — about 2.3 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.
Jersey Farm, 3 km to the north-east, has more species on record (190 against 183).
Daylight runs from 16 h 41 min at midsummer to 7 h 47 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 St Albans
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 3,541 |
| 2 | MagpiePica pica | 3,211 |
| 3 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 3,094 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 3,089 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 3,042 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 2,837 |
| 7 | Great TitParus major | 2,767 |
| 8 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 2,582 |
| 9 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 2,552 |
| 10 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 2,487 |
| 11 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 2,101 |
| 12 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 2,097 |
| 13 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 2,070 |
| 14 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 1,902 |
| 15 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 1,779 |
| 16 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 1,775 |
| 17 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 1,718 |
| 18 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 1,694 |
| 19 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 1,637 |
| 20 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 1,618 |
Records by month
What to put out in St Albans
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 St Albans?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of St Albans are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Blue Tit, Robin and Carrion Crow, based on 101,520 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near St Albans?
183 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in St Albans?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in November. 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.