Birds of Washington
What has actually been seen around Washington: 160 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 160 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 12,245 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 59 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.5 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Washington
160 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Washington (West Sussex) since 2010, across 12,245 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Robin.
Washington is a garden-bird place: 79% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin and Carrion Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
17 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 May and are lowest in December — about 3.5 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.
Ashington, 3 km to the north, has fewer species on record (153 against 160). Birds logged far more often around Washington than there include Eurasian Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Corn Bunting and Red-legged Partridge.
Daylight runs from 16 h 32 min at midsummer to 7 h 56 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:08 in mid-April and 4:46 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Washington
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 532 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 459 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 457 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 413 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 380 |
| 6 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 353 |
| 7 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 343 |
| 8 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 335 |
| 9 | Great TitParus major | 334 |
| 10 | MagpiePica pica | 318 |
| 11 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 317 |
| 12 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 311 |
| 13 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 309 |
| 14 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 283 |
| 15 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 276 |
| 16 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 255 |
| 17 | YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella | 250 |
| 18 | Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensis | 245 |
| 19 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 242 |
| 20 | Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus | 223 |
Records by month
What to put out in Washington
Seasonal bird notes for West Sussex
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 Washington?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Washington are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin, Carrion Crow and Blue Tit, based on 12,245 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Washington?
160 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Washington?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in December. 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.