Birds of Gillingham
What has actually been seen around Gillingham: 165 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 165 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 16,189 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Black-headed Gull
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 31 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Gillingham
165 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Gillingham (Medway) since 2010, across 16,189 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Black-headed Gull, Woodpigeon and Magpie.
The records split between garden birds (55%) and waterbirds (39%), so a feeder in Gillingham sees the familiar Woodpigeon, Magpie and Carrion Crow, while Black-headed Gull and others turn up on nearby water.
15 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel, Common Buzzard 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 September — about 2.2 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.
Rochester, 3 km to the west, has fewer species on record (146 against 165). Birds logged far more often around Gillingham than there include Eurasian Teal, Eurasian Curlew, Eurasian Wigeon and Brant.
Daylight runs from 16 h 37 min at midsummer to 7 h 51 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:04 in mid-April and 4:40 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Gillingham
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 824 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 811 |
| 3 | MagpiePica pica | 684 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 622 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 575 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 560 |
| 7 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 496 |
| 8 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 465 |
| 9 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 449 |
| 10 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 413 |
| 11 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 395 |
| 12 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 380 |
| 13 | SwiftApus apus | 375 |
| 14 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 372 |
| 15 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 357 |
| 16 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 320 |
| 17 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 310 |
| 18 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 301 |
| 19 | Great TitParus major | 280 |
| 20 | Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna | 263 |
Records by month
What to put out in Gillingham
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Medway
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 Gillingham?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Gillingham are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Robin and Blackbird, based on 16,189 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Gillingham?
165 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Gillingham?
Observation records peak in April 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.