Birds of Dorking
What has actually been seen around Dorking: 131 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 131 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 15,542 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 59 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Dorking
131 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Dorking (Surrey) since 2010, across 15,542 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Robin and Blue Tit.
Dorking is a garden-bird place: 80% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Robin, Blue Tit and Blackbird 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 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 April and are lowest in August — about 2.5 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.
Mickleham, 4 km to the north, has more species on record (137 against 131). Birds logged far more often around Dorking than there include Tawny Owl, Common Firecrest, Egyptian Goose and House Martin.
Daylight runs from 16 h 35 min at midsummer to 7 h 53 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:08 in mid-April and 4:44 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Dorking
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 822 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 787 |
| 3 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 717 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 716 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 655 |
| 6 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 628 |
| 7 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 624 |
| 8 | Great TitParus major | 561 |
| 9 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 422 |
| 10 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 386 |
| 11 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 378 |
| 12 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 334 |
| 13 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 317 |
| 14 | NuthatchSitta europaea | 295 |
| 15 | Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major | 292 |
| 16 | SwiftApus apus | 288 |
| 17 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 281 |
| 18 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 276 |
| 19 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 272 |
| 20 | Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri | 268 |
Records by month
What to put out in Dorking
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Surrey
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 Dorking?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Dorking are Woodpigeon, Robin, Blue Tit, Blackbird and Magpie, based on 15,542 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Dorking?
131 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Dorking?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in August. Sunrise in late June is around 4:44.
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.