Birds of Walkern
What has actually been seen around Walkern: 149 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 149 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 52,248 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 88 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Walkern
149 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Walkern (Hertfordshire) since 2010, across 52,248 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blue Tit and Magpie.
Walkern is a garden-bird place: 64% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blue Tit, Magpie and Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Common Buzzard and Eurasian Sparrowhawk. 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 2.4 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.
Stevenage, 6 km to the west, has more species on record (156 against 149).
Daylight runs from 16 h 43 min at midsummer to 7 h 46 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:05 in mid-April and 4:40 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Walkern
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,880 |
| 2 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,765 |
| 3 | MagpiePica pica | 1,752 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,717 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,711 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,599 |
| 7 | Great TitParus major | 1,589 |
| 8 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 1,437 |
| 9 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,424 |
| 10 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 1,390 |
| 11 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 1,376 |
| 12 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 1,272 |
| 13 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 1,253 |
| 14 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 1,202 |
| 15 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,160 |
| 16 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 1,153 |
| 17 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 1,111 |
| 18 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 1,103 |
| 19 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 1,046 |
| 20 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 1,021 |
Records by month
What to put out in Walkern
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 Walkern?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Walkern are Woodpigeon, Blue Tit, Magpie, Robin and Carrion Crow, based on 52,248 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Walkern?
149 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Walkern?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in August. Sunrise in late June is around 4:40.
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.