Birds of Rochester
What has actually been seen around Rochester: 146 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 146 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 10,025 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 8 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Rochester
146 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Rochester (Medway) since 2010, across 10,025 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Magpie and Black-headed Gull.
Rochester is a garden-bird place: 69% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Magpie, Blackbird and Carrion Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
12 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel 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 May and are lowest in September — about 3.9 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.
Gillingham, 3 km to the east, has more species on record (165 against 146). Birds logged far more often around Rochester than there include Common Pheasant, Red-legged Partridge and Tawny Owl.
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 Rochester
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 620 |
| 2 | MagpiePica pica | 564 |
| 3 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 461 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 447 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 436 |
| 6 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 407 |
| 7 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 400 |
| 8 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 357 |
| 9 | SwiftApus apus | 350 |
| 10 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 287 |
| 11 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 287 |
| 12 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 273 |
| 13 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 258 |
| 14 | Great TitParus major | 258 |
| 15 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 245 |
| 16 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 240 |
| 17 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 238 |
| 18 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 184 |
| 19 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 179 |
| 20 | JayGarrulus glandarius | 175 |
Records by month
What to put out in Rochester
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
- Starling
Suet · Mealworms
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
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 Rochester?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Rochester are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Blackbird, Carrion Crow and Robin, based on 10,025 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Rochester?
146 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Rochester?
Observation records peak in May 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.