Birds of Sittingbourne
What has actually been seen around Sittingbourne: 169 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 169 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 5,669 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Mediterranean Gull
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 16 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Sittingbourne
169 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Sittingbourne (Kent) since 2010, across 5,669 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Mediterranean Gull, Woodpigeon and Magpie.
Water shapes this list. 45% of records near Sittingbourne are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Mediterranean Gull, Black-headed Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.
17 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Eurasian Marsh-Harrier.
Records peak in January and are lowest in September — about 12.2 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.
Iwade, 4 km to the north, has more species on record (211 against 169). Birds logged far more often around Sittingbourne than there include Mediterranean Gull, Swift, Green Woodpecker and Song Thrush.
Daylight runs from 16 h 37 min at midsummer to 7 h 51 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 Sittingbourne
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus | 215 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 162 |
| 3 | MagpiePica pica | 146 |
| 4 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 143 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 134 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 118 |
| 7 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 116 |
| 8 | SwiftApus apus | 116 |
| 9 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 115 |
| 10 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 113 |
| 11 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 113 |
| 12 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 104 |
| 13 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 100 |
| 14 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 99 |
| 15 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 94 |
| 16 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 90 |
| 17 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 90 |
| 18 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 88 |
| 19 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 87 |
| 20 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 86 |
Records by month
What to put out in Sittingbourne
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 Sittingbourne?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Sittingbourne are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Robin, Blackbird and Blue Tit, based on 5,669 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Sittingbourne?
169 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Sittingbourne?
Observation records peak in January 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.