Perch Supply
Kent · 51.36°N

Birds of Whitstable

What has actually been seen around Whitstable: 228 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record
228 within 5 km
Observation records
71,434 since 2010
Most recorded bird
European Herring Gull
Busiest month
November
Elevation
5 m
Daylight, June / December
16.6 h / 7.9 h

What the records say about Whitstable

228 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Whitstable (Kent) since 2010, across 71,434 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull and Carrion Crow.

Water shapes this list. 47% of records near Whitstable are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — European Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull and Great Cormorant lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Carrion Crow is still the most logged garden bird.

16 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel, Eurasian Sparrowhawk and Peregrine Falcon. 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 November and are lowest in July — about 2.4 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.

Blean, 6 km to the south, has fewer species on record (157 against 228). Birds logged far more often around Whitstable than there include Great Cormorant, Great Black-backed Gull, Eurasian Oystercatcher and Ruddy Turnstone.

Daylight runs from 16 h 37 min at midsummer to 7 h 51 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:02 in mid-April and 4:38 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Whitstable

#BirdRecords
1European Herring GullLarus argentatus2,101
2Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus2,005
3Carrion CrowCorvus corone1,864
4StarlingSturnus vulgaris1,858
5House SparrowPasser domesticus1,857
6WoodpigeonColumba palumbus1,823
7Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo1,810
8MagpiePica pica1,697
9Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus1,670
10BlackbirdTurdus merula1,664
11Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus1,638
12RobinErithacus rubecula1,559
13Pied WagtailMotacilla alba1,541
14Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto1,537
15Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpres1,492
16DunnockPrunella modularis1,473
17Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus1,427
18Rock PigeonColumba livia1,396
19Little EgretEgretta garzetta1,319
20Common GullLarus canus1,299

Records by month

What to put out in Whitstable

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 Whitstable?

The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Whitstable are Carrion Crow, Starling, House Sparrow, Woodpigeon and Magpie, based on 71,434 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Whitstable?

228 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).

When is the best month for birds in Whitstable?

Observation records peak in November and are lowest in July. Sunrise in late June is around 4:38.

Sources

  1. GBIF occurrence search (birds, class Aves, 2010 onward)
  2. 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.