Birds of Esher
What has actually been seen around Esher: 185 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 185 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 95,562 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- March
- Elevation
- 39 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Esher
185 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Esher (Surrey) since 2010, across 95,562 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Robin and Blue Tit.
Esher is a garden-bird place: 75% 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 Carrion Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
13 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel, Red Kite and Common Buzzard. 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 March and are lowest in September — about 1.6 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.
Oxshott, 4 km to the south, has fewer species on record (145 against 185). Birds logged far more often around Esher than there include Great Crested Grebe, Bank Swallow, Common Tern and Cetti's Warbler.
Daylight runs from 16 h 37 min at midsummer to 7 h 51 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:07 in mid-April and 4:44 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Esher
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 5,863 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 5,681 |
| 3 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 5,477 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 4,785 |
| 5 | Great TitParus major | 4,692 |
| 6 | MagpiePica pica | 4,682 |
| 7 | Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri | 4,379 |
| 8 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 4,198 |
| 9 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 3,837 |
| 10 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 3,775 |
| 11 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 3,503 |
| 12 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 3,470 |
| 13 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 3,121 |
| 14 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 3,104 |
| 15 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 2,907 |
| 16 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 1,725 |
| 17 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 1,574 |
| 18 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 1,553 |
| 19 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 1,528 |
| 20 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,345 |
Records by month
What to put out in Esher
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 Esher?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Esher are Woodpigeon, Robin, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow and Great Tit, based on 95,562 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Esher?
185 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Esher?
Observation records peak in March and are lowest in September. 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.