Birds of Swanley
What has actually been seen around Swanley: 125 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 125 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 12,404 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 81 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Swanley
125 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Swanley (Kent) since 2010, across 12,404 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Magpie and Blue Tit.
Swanley 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, Magpie, Blue Tit and Robin 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 January and are lowest in September — about 3.4 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.
Eynsford, 4 km to the south-east, has fewer species on record (119 against 125). Birds logged far more often around Swanley than there include Little Bunting and Corn Bunting.
Daylight runs from 16 h 37 min at midsummer to 7 h 51 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:05 in mid-April and 4:41 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Swanley
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 633 |
| 2 | MagpiePica pica | 543 |
| 3 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 522 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 510 |
| 5 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 455 |
| 6 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 440 |
| 7 | Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri | 429 |
| 8 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 413 |
| 9 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 399 |
| 10 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 392 |
| 11 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 392 |
| 12 | Great TitParus major | 370 |
| 13 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 323 |
| 14 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 291 |
| 15 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 281 |
| 16 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 280 |
| 17 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 245 |
| 18 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 240 |
| 19 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 238 |
| 20 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 203 |
Records by month
What to put out in Swanley
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 Swanley?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Swanley are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Blue Tit, Robin and Blackbird, based on 12,404 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Swanley?
125 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Swanley?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in September. 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.