Birds of Hawkhurst
What has actually been seen around Hawkhurst: 94 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 94 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 996 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Swift
- Busiest month
- July
- Elevation
- 77 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Hawkhurst
94 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Hawkhurst (Kent) since 2010, across 996 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Swift, Woodpigeon and Robin.
The records split between garden birds (59%) and waterbirds (8%), so a feeder in Hawkhurst sees the familiar Woodpigeon, Robin and Blue Tit, while Mallard and others turn up on nearby water.
8 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 July and are lowest in December — about 43.0 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.
Benenden, 5 km to the north-east, has a similar number of species on record (95 against 94). Birds logged far more often around Hawkhurst than there include Swift.
Daylight runs from 16 h 33 min at midsummer to 7 h 54 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:05 in mid-April and 4:42 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Hawkhurst
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SwiftApus apus | 236 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 37 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 35 |
| 4 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 32 |
| 5 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 30 |
| 6 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 27 |
| 7 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 26 |
| 8 | Great TitParus major | 25 |
| 9 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 22 |
| 10 | MagpiePica pica | 22 |
| 11 | Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major | 21 |
| 12 | NuthatchSitta europaea | 21 |
| 13 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 18 |
| 14 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 18 |
| 15 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 16 |
| 16 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 16 |
| 17 | GoldcrestRegulus regulus | 15 |
| 18 | Marsh TitPoecile palustris | 15 |
| 19 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 15 |
| 20 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 14 |
Records by month
What to put out in Hawkhurst
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 Hawkhurst?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Hawkhurst are Woodpigeon, Robin, Blue Tit, Blackbird and Great Tit, based on 996 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Hawkhurst?
94 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Hawkhurst?
Observation records peak in July and are lowest in December. 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.