Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: Education

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K 17 Birds at Kew

Where to see birds at Kew
List of Kew birds

Kew is a wonderful place to watch birds. The varied plant collections and rich invertebrate fauna support over 40 species of bird which breed in the Gardens annually while at least 30 more visit regularly in season. The presence of a small collection of captive birds and the provision of birdfeeders have the effect of making many wild birds a little less cautious than they would usually be enabling the watcher may get good views of species which are normally elusive elsewhere.

Where to see birds at Kew

Queen’s Cottage Grounds

The Cottage Grounds are managed to encourage wildlife. They are rich in native trees, shrubs and wildflowers which in turn support a very diverse invertebrate fauna. Birds which benefit from this abundant source of food and nesting sites include Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps, Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Treecreepers and Nuthatches. Look down the grassy rides to see Green Woodpeckers burying acorns in the turf during late summer and autumn. In winter the bird-feeders are popular with Blue, Great and Coal Tits while captive pheasants feed on the ground underneath.

Rhododendron Dell

This sheltered stretch of cover is good for close views of tits, Robins and the beautiful captive Golden Pheasants which approach visitors hoping for food. In winter look up in the trees for a glimpse of Goldcrests and Siskins which often travel through the Gardens, feeding as they go, in mixed flocks of commoner species like the tits or Chaffinches.

King William’s Temple

The dense plantings around the Temple provide nesting sites for the delicate, acrobatic Long-tailed Tits and for Blackcaps. Wrens nest in the Ivy and in spring, Chiffchaffs can be heard singing in the shrubs nearby.

Riverside Walk

Herons are numerous feeding along the margins of the River Thames or roosting in the trees above. Cormorants are common and can be seen fishing singly in mid-stream or in flocks drying their plumage in the trees. Sparrowhawks and Kestrels can be seen in the patches of open sky between the branches and flocks of up to 20 Ring-necked Parakeets criss-cross the River overhead. In autumn Wood Pigeons can be seen gorging themselves on acorns in the Holm Oaks while Jays gather theirs and bury them in the grass nearby.

The Lake

The collection of captive waterfowl is joined by many wild birds which rapidly become quite trusting in the expectation of food, especially in winter. Up to 70 Coots and 50 Moorhens overwinter on the Lake, Mallard and Tufted Ducks are common as are Pochard. Mute Swans bred in 2001 and again in 2002 after an absence of some years. Great Crested Grebes and Little Grebes can be seen especially in spring. The highlight of a walk around the Lake in summer is likely to be the flash of vivid blue as a Kingfisher carries a fish back to it’s perch.

List of Kew birds
This includes all the species which have been recorded since 1980 and follows the commonly used Voous sequence.

Key to status symbols

B = breeding
W= winter visitor
S= summer visitor
M= migrant passing through in spring and autumn

Little Grebe	RB
Great Crested Grebe	RB
Red-necked Grebe	W	Two records of birds on the Thames, visible from the Gardens
Cormorant	R
Shag	W
Grey Heron	R
Mute Swan	RB
Whooper Swan	W	A single record of a bird flying over the Gardens
White-fronted Goose	W	A single record of a bird flying over the Gardens
Greylag Goose	R	Captive birds are also present
Canada Goose	RB
Shelduck	W
Mandarin	R
Wigeon	W
Gadwall	W
Teal	W
Mallard	RB
Garganey		A single record only (August)
Shoveler	W
Pochard	R
Tufted Duck	RB
Common Scoter		A single record from the Thames
Goldeneye	W
Goosander	W
Ruddy Duck		A single record
Honey Buzzard		A single record
Red Kite		Two records of birds flying over
Sparrowhawk	RB
Buzzard		A single record
Kestrel	RB
Merlin		A single record
Hobby	M
Pheasant	RB
Moorhen	RB
Coot	RB
Oystercatcher	M
Little Ringed Plover		A single record
Golden Plover		A single record of a bird flying over
Lapwing	M	Seen annually flying over the Gardens
Dunlin		A single record
Snipe	W
Woodcock	W
Whimbrel		A single record (August)
Curlew		A single record (March)
Redshank		A single record
Greenshank		Two records
Green Sandpiper		A single record
Common Sandpiper		A single record
Black-headed Gull	R
Common Gull	WM
Lesser Black-backed Gull	R
Herring Gull	WM
Iceland or Glaucous Gull		A single record only
Great Black-backed Gull	W
Kittiwake	W
Sandwich Tern	M	Four records of birds seen along the Thames
Common Tern	S
Little Tern		A single record (August)
Guillemot	W
Feral Rock Dove	RB
Stock Dove	SB
Woodpigeon	RB
Collared Dove	MB
Turtle Dove	M
Ring-necked Parakeet	RB
Cuckoo	M
Little Owl	M
Tawny Owl	RB
Swift	S
Kingfisher	SB
Green Woodpecker	RB
Great Spotted Woodpecker	RB
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker	RB
Skylark	WM
Sand Martin	S
Swallow	SB
House Martin	S
Meadow Pipit	M
Yellow Wagtail	M
Grey Wagtail	R
Pied Wagtail	RB
Wren	RB
Dunnock	RB
Robin	RB
Redstart		A single record (August)
Wheatear	M
Ring Ouzel		A single record (August)
Blackbird	RB
Fieldfare	W
Song Thrush	RB
Redwing	W
Mistle Thrush	RB
Sedge Warbler	M
Reed Warbler	S
Lesser Whitethroat	S	Has bred twice
Whitethroat	M	Only two records
Garden Warbler	M
Blackcap	SB
Chiffchaff	SB
Willow Warbler	SM
Goldcrest	RB
Firecrest	WM	Only three records
Spotted Flycatcher	SB
Red-breasted Flycatcher		A single record (November)
Pied Flycatcher	M	4 records
Long-tailed Tit	RB
Coal Tit	RB
Blue Tit	RB
Great Tit	RB
Nuthatch	RB
Treecreeper	RB
Jay	RB
Magpie	RB
Jackdaw	RB
Rook		A single record
Carrion Crow	RB
Starling	RB
House Sparrow		Once common but no recent repor
Chaffinch	RB
Brambling	M
Greenfinch	RB
Goldfinch	RB
Siskin	W
Linnet	SB
Redpoll	WM
Bullfinch	RB
Hawfinch		A single record (April)
Yellowhammer		A single record
Reed Bunting		A single record

Ornamental bird collections Kew’s small collection of ornamental birds gives great pleasure to many visitors but can cause confusion for birdwatchers as it can be difficult to distinguish them from wild birds. At the Lake and Palm House Pond a selection of waterfowl from the following list of species may be seen:
Black Swan
Bar-headed Goose
Barnacle Goose
Bean Goose
Emperor Goose
Greylag Goose
Lesser White-fronted Goose
Pink-footed Goose
Ross’s Goose
Eider Duck
Chilean Teal
Rosybill
Red-crested Pochard
Mandarin Duck
Goldeneye
Garganey
Pintail
Bahaman Pintail
Shelduck
Ruddy Shelduck
Chiloe Wigeon
Wood Duck

Several other species can be seen in other parts of the Gardens including the following:
Peacock
Guinea Fowl
Pheasant
Silver Pheasant
Golden Pheasant

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