Birds of Harwell
What has actually been seen around Harwell: 143 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 143 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 39,659 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Busiest month
- October
- Elevation
- 80 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Harwell
143 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Harwell (Oxfordshire) since 2010, across 39,659 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon and Robin.
Harwell is a garden-bird place: 70% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Robin, Blackbird and Goldfinch make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
13 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel. 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 October and are lowest in June — about 2.8 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.
Steventon, 4 km to the north-west, has more species on record (172 against 143).
Daylight runs from 16 h 40 min at midsummer to 7 h 49 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:11 in mid-April and 4:46 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Harwell
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 6,381 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,831 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,609 |
| 4 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 1,528 |
| 5 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,437 |
| 6 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,384 |
| 7 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,346 |
| 8 | MagpiePica pica | 1,256 |
| 9 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,241 |
| 10 | Great TitParus major | 1,099 |
| 11 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 985 |
| 12 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 980 |
| 13 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 959 |
| 14 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 888 |
| 15 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 838 |
| 16 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 786 |
| 17 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 709 |
| 18 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 707 |
| 19 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 652 |
| 20 | GreenfinchChloris chloris | 649 |
Records by month
What to put out in Harwell
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Oxfordshire
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 Harwell?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Harwell are Woodpigeon, Robin, Blackbird, Goldfinch and Carrion Crow, based on 39,659 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Harwell?
143 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Harwell?
Observation records peak in October and are lowest in June. Sunrise in late June is around 4:46.
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.