Birds of Lenham
What has actually been seen around Lenham: 84 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 84 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 846 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 117 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Lenham
84 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Lenham (Kent) since 2010, across 846 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Common Buzzard.
Lenham is a garden-bird place: 75% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Carrion Crow and Blue Tit 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 Red Kite. 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 April and are lowest in September — about 43.2 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.
Harrietsham, 3 km to the west, has more species on record (129 against 84). Birds logged far more often around Lenham than there include Lesser Black-backed Gull.
Daylight runs from 16 h 36 min at midsummer to 7 h 52 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:03 in mid-April and 4:40 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Lenham
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 42 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 41 |
| 3 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 40 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 37 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 36 |
| 6 | MagpiePica pica | 36 |
| 7 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 35 |
| 8 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 29 |
| 9 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 27 |
| 10 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 25 |
| 11 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 23 |
| 12 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 23 |
| 13 | SwiftApus apus | 23 |
| 14 | Great TitParus major | 22 |
| 15 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 21 |
| 16 | Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major | 20 |
| 17 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 20 |
| 18 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 20 |
| 19 | JayGarrulus glandarius | 19 |
| 20 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 18 |
Records by month
What to put out in Lenham
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
- Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- Collared Dove
Seed mix
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 Lenham?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Lenham are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit and Magpie, based on 846 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Lenham?
84 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Lenham?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in September. 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.