Birds of Gravesend
What has actually been seen around Gravesend: 192 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 192 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 21,888 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- September
- Elevation
- 21 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Gravesend
192 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Gravesend (Kent) since 2010, across 21,888 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Magpie and Robin.
Gravesend is a garden-bird place: 62% 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.
15 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel and Common Buzzard.
Records peak in September and are lowest in July — about 2.9 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.
Swanscombe, 4 km to the west, has more species on record (197 against 192).
Daylight runs from 16 h 38 min at midsummer to 7 h 50 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:04 in mid-April and 4:40 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Gravesend
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 859 |
| 2 | MagpiePica pica | 711 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 683 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 661 |
| 5 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 595 |
| 6 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 571 |
| 7 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 569 |
| 8 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 541 |
| 9 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 528 |
| 10 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 481 |
| 11 | Great TitParus major | 434 |
| 12 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 417 |
| 13 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 397 |
| 14 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 390 |
| 15 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 385 |
| 16 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 382 |
| 17 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 373 |
| 18 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 363 |
| 19 | Common LinnetLinaria cannabina | 341 |
| 20 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 322 |
Records by month
What to put out in Gravesend
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
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 Gravesend?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Gravesend are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Robin, Carrion Crow and Starling, based on 21,888 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Gravesend?
192 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Gravesend?
Observation records peak in September and are lowest in July. 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.