Birds of Dartford
What has actually been seen around Dartford: 232 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 232 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 113,230 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Black-headed Gull
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 8 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Dartford
232 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Dartford (Kent) since 2010, across 113,230 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Black-headed Gull, Magpie and Woodpigeon.
Water shapes this list. 51% of records near Dartford are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Black-headed Gull, Mallard and European Herring Gull lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Magpie is still the most logged garden bird.
16 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel, Eurasian Marsh-Harrier and Common Buzzard.
Records peak in May and are lowest in June — about 2.2 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.
Stone, 4 km to the east, has fewer species on record (221 against 232).
Daylight runs from 16 h 38 min at midsummer to 7 h 50 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:05 in mid-April and 4:41 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Dartford
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 3,123 |
| 2 | MagpiePica pica | 3,062 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 3,019 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 3,018 |
| 5 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 2,919 |
| 6 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 2,730 |
| 7 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 2,606 |
| 8 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 2,439 |
| 9 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 2,403 |
| 10 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 2,281 |
| 11 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 2,268 |
| 12 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 2,120 |
| 13 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 2,058 |
| 14 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 1,993 |
| 15 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,988 |
| 16 | Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus | 1,975 |
| 17 | Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna | 1,960 |
| 18 | Eurasian TealAnas crecca | 1,945 |
| 19 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 1,921 |
| 20 | Graylag GooseAnser anser | 1,755 |
Records by month
What to put out in Dartford
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Starling
Suet · Mealworms
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
- Goldfinch
Nyjer seed · Sunflower hearts
- Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
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 Dartford?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Dartford are Magpie, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Starling and Robin, based on 113,230 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Dartford?
232 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Dartford?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in June. Sunrise in late June is around 4:41.
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.