Birds of Mersham
What has actually been seen around Mersham: 141 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 141 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 6,052 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 70 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Mersham
141 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Mersham (Kent) since 2010, across 6,052 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Magpie and Blue Tit.
Mersham is a garden-bird place: 71% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Magpie, Blue Tit and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
9 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 April and are lowest in July — about 4.1 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.
Aldington, 3 km to the south, has fewer species on record (130 against 141). Birds logged far more often around Mersham than there include Mute Swan, Tufted Duck, Great Crested Grebe and Graylag Goose.
Daylight runs from 16 h 34 min at midsummer to 7 h 54 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 Mersham
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 265 |
| 2 | MagpiePica pica | 264 |
| 3 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 248 |
| 4 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 247 |
| 5 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 219 |
| 6 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 217 |
| 7 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 215 |
| 8 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 214 |
| 9 | Great TitParus major | 172 |
| 10 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 159 |
| 11 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 154 |
| 12 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 147 |
| 13 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 144 |
| 14 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 134 |
| 15 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 126 |
| 16 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 119 |
| 17 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 107 |
| 18 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 103 |
| 19 | SwiftApus apus | 95 |
| 20 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 93 |
Records by month
What to put out in Mersham
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 Mersham?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Mersham are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Blue Tit, Blackbird and Robin, based on 6,052 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Mersham?
141 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Mersham?
Observation records peak in April 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.