Birds of Penshurst
What has actually been seen around Penshurst: 130 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 130 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 4,825 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 35 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Penshurst
130 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Penshurst (Kent) since 2010, across 4,825 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Robin and Carrion Crow.
Penshurst is a garden-bird place: 63% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Robin, 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.
Records peak in May and are lowest in November — about 4.7 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.
Speldhurst, 4 km to the south-east, has more species on record (146 against 130). Birds logged far more often around Penshurst than there include Great Crested Grebe, Canada Goose, Mute Swan and Eurasian Coot.
Daylight runs from 16 h 35 min at midsummer to 7 h 53 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:06 in mid-April and 4:43 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Penshurst
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 190 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 184 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 184 |
| 4 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 172 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 171 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 166 |
| 7 | MagpiePica pica | 157 |
| 8 | Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus | 133 |
| 9 | Great TitParus major | 132 |
| 10 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 128 |
| 11 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 124 |
| 12 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 118 |
| 13 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 113 |
| 14 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 102 |
| 15 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 89 |
| 16 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 87 |
| 17 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 87 |
| 18 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 85 |
| 19 | Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major | 82 |
| 20 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 81 |
Records by month
What to put out in Penshurst
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 Penshurst?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Penshurst are Woodpigeon, Robin, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit and Blackbird, based on 4,825 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Penshurst?
130 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Penshurst?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:43.
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.