Birds of Watford
What has actually been seen around Watford: 160 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 160 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 45,483 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 77 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Watford
160 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Watford (Hertfordshire) since 2010, across 45,483 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Magpie and Robin.
Watford is a garden-bird place: 71% 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 April and are lowest in September — about 3.3 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.
Carpenders Park, 3 km to the south, has a similar number of species on record (163 against 160). Birds logged far more often around Watford than there include Common Pheasant.
Daylight runs from 16 h 40 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 Watford
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 2,151 |
| 2 | MagpiePica pica | 1,882 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,807 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,774 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,748 |
| 6 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,535 |
| 7 | Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri | 1,495 |
| 8 | Great TitParus major | 1,459 |
| 9 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,374 |
| 10 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 1,298 |
| 11 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,124 |
| 12 | Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major | 1,030 |
| 13 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 1,020 |
| 14 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 1,006 |
| 15 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 994 |
| 16 | JayGarrulus glandarius | 968 |
| 17 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 963 |
| 18 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 953 |
| 19 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 852 |
| 20 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 851 |
Records by month
What to put out in Watford
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 Watford?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Watford are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Robin, Carrion Crow and Blue Tit, based on 45,483 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Watford?
160 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Watford?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in September. 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.