Birds of Benenden
What has actually been seen around Benenden: 95 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 95 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 1,248 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Robin
- Busiest month
- March
- Elevation
- 100 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Benenden
95 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Benenden (Kent) since 2010, across 1,248 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Robin, Blackbird and Siskin.
Benenden is a garden-bird place: 85% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Robin, Blackbird, Siskin and Carrion Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel 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 March and are lowest in September — about 9.6 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.
Rolvenden, 4 km to the south-east, has more species on record (115 against 95). Birds logged far more often around Benenden than there include Siskin, Red Crossbill, Goldcrest and Common Redpoll.
Daylight runs from 16 h 34 min at midsummer to 7 h 54 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:04 in mid-April and 4:42 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Benenden
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 55 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 49 |
| 3 | SiskinSpinus spinus | 46 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 44 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 43 |
| 6 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 43 |
| 7 | Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostra | 39 |
| 8 | SwiftApus apus | 35 |
| 9 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 34 |
| 10 | Great TitParus major | 34 |
| 11 | GoldcrestRegulus regulus | 33 |
| 12 | Common RedpollAcanthis flammea | 32 |
| 13 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 30 |
| 14 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 30 |
| 15 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 29 |
| 16 | Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major | 28 |
| 17 | NuthatchSitta europaea | 28 |
| 18 | MagpiePica pica | 28 |
| 19 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 26 |
| 20 | White-winged CrossbillLoxia leucoptera | 26 |
Records by month
What to put out in Benenden
Seasonal bird notes for Kent
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 Benenden?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Benenden are Robin, Blackbird, Siskin, Carrion Crow and Blue Tit, based on 1,248 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Benenden?
95 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Benenden?
Observation records peak in March 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.