Birds of Istead Rise
What has actually been seen around Istead Rise: 156 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 156 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 11,828 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- October
- Elevation
- 66 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Istead Rise
156 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Istead Rise (Kent) since 2010, across 11,828 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Robin and Magpie.
Istead Rise is a garden-bird place: 78% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Robin, Magpie and Carrion Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
12 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 October and are lowest in August — about 3.0 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.
Longfield, 4 km to the west, has fewer species on record (106 against 156). Birds logged far more often around Istead Rise than there include Bullfinch, Mediterranean Gull, Common Redshank and Eurasian Curlew.
Daylight runs from 16 h 37 min at midsummer to 7 h 51 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:04 in mid-April and 4:41 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Istead Rise
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 661 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 567 |
| 3 | MagpiePica pica | 531 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 502 |
| 5 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 444 |
| 6 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 439 |
| 7 | Great TitParus major | 393 |
| 8 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 347 |
| 9 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 347 |
| 10 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 316 |
| 11 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 285 |
| 12 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 275 |
| 13 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 274 |
| 14 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 273 |
| 15 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 254 |
| 16 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 245 |
| 17 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 234 |
| 18 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 233 |
| 19 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 222 |
| 20 | SwiftApus apus | 220 |
Records by month
What to put out in Istead Rise
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 Istead Rise?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Istead Rise are Woodpigeon, Robin, Magpie, Carrion Crow and Blackbird, based on 11,828 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Istead Rise?
156 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Istead Rise?
Observation records peak in October and are lowest in August. 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.