Birds of Maidstone
What has actually been seen around Maidstone: 138 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 138 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 27,298 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 9 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Maidstone
138 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Maidstone (Kent) since 2010, across 27,298 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Magpie and Robin.
Maidstone 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, Magpie, Robin and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Eurasian Sparrowhawk and Common Kestrel. 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 May and are lowest in August — about 3.6 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.
Detling, 5 km to the north-east, has fewer species on record (133 against 138).
Daylight runs from 16 h 36 min at midsummer to 7 h 52 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 Maidstone
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,752 |
| 2 | MagpiePica pica | 1,605 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,383 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,357 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,335 |
| 6 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,125 |
| 7 | Great TitParus major | 1,092 |
| 8 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 929 |
| 9 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 864 |
| 10 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 792 |
| 11 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 740 |
| 12 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 736 |
| 13 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 686 |
| 14 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 683 |
| 15 | JayGarrulus glandarius | 635 |
| 16 | Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major | 617 |
| 17 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 593 |
| 18 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 582 |
| 19 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 511 |
| 20 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 478 |
Records by month
What to put out in Maidstone
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 Maidstone?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Maidstone are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Robin, Blackbird and Blue Tit, based on 27,298 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Maidstone?
138 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Maidstone?
Observation records peak in May 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.