Birds of Hermitage
What has actually been seen around Hermitage: 99 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 99 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 4,263 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 121 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Hermitage
99 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Hermitage (West Berkshire) since 2010, across 4,263 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Lesser Black-backed Gull, Red Kite and Woodpigeon.
Hermitage is a garden-bird place: 65% 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.
8 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Common Buzzard and Tawny Owl. 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 October — about 4.9 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.
Hampstead Norreys, 4 km to the north-east, has fewer species on record (87 against 99). Birds logged far more often around Hermitage than there include Tawny Owl, Mallard and Marsh Tit.
Daylight runs from 16 h 38 min at midsummer to 7 h 50 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:11 in mid-April and 4:47 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Hermitage
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 621 |
| 2 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 333 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 230 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 225 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 177 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 175 |
| 7 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 175 |
| 8 | Great TitParus major | 157 |
| 9 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 150 |
| 10 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 143 |
| 11 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 126 |
| 12 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 121 |
| 13 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 110 |
| 14 | NuthatchSitta europaea | 99 |
| 15 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 99 |
| 16 | Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major | 95 |
| 17 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 86 |
| 18 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 85 |
| 19 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 82 |
| 20 | MagpiePica pica | 62 |
Records by month
What to put out in Hermitage
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for West Berkshire
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 Hermitage?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Hermitage are Woodpigeon, Robin, Blue Tit, Blackbird and Great Tit, based on 4,263 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Hermitage?
99 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Hermitage?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in October. Sunrise in late June is around 4:47.
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.