Birding in London: 12 Best Sites and What to See

London has wetlands, grazing marsh, ancient parkland and a tidal river, most of it reachable by train or tube. These are the sites local birders use.

Updated 6 October 2026

12 best birding sites in London

1. WWT London Wetland Centre, Barnes

Lakes, reedbed and grazing marsh built on old reservoirs beside the Thames. Paid entry, with hides and a cafe. Winter brings Bittern, Water Rail, Shoveler and Gadwall. Summer has a Sand Martin bank, Common Terns and Reed Warblers. Cetti's Warbler and Kingfisher all year. Nearest station: Barnes.

2. Walthamstow Wetlands

Ten working reservoirs covering 211 hectares, managed with London Wildlife Trust. Free entry. The wooded islands hold Grey Heron and Cormorant colonies. Winter: Goldeneye, Goosander and large Tufted Duck flocks. Spring and autumn: terns, Common Sandpipers, Wheatears and wagtails on the banks. Nearest station: Tottenham Hale.

3. RSPB Rainham Marshes

Thames-side grazing marsh on the London and Essex border. Marsh Harrier, Kestrel and Buzzard hunt the marsh, with Hobby in summer. Lapwing and Redshank breed. Winter brings Wigeon, Teal and Golden Plover, and waders use the river mud at low tide. A parking charge applies to non-members. Nearest station: Purfleet.

4. Woodberry Wetlands, Stoke Newington

An 11 hectare reservoir with reedbeds, run by London Wildlife Trust. Free. Reed Warbler and Reed Bunting breed, Kingfisher is regular, and winter ducks include Shoveler and Gadwall. Small enough for a lunch hour. Nearest tube: Manor House.

5. Richmond Park

London's largest royal park and a National Nature Reserve. Old oaks hold Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers, Nuthatch, Treecreeper and Tawny Owl. Little Owl and Skylark use the open grassland, and Stonechats winter in the bracken. Ring-necked Parakeets are everywhere.

6. Hampstead Heath

Woodland, ponds and rough grassland in north London. Kingfisher and Great Crested Grebe on the ponds, woodpeckers in the old trees. Parliament Hill is a known visible migration watchpoint: on October mornings Woodpigeons, Chaffinches, Redwings and Fieldfares pass over.

7. Staines Reservoirs

Two large basins near Heathrow, just outside Greater London but inside the London recording area. Access is on foot only, along the public causeway between the basins, with an entrance at each end. There is no shelter and you need a scope. Known for Black-necked Grebe, Goldeneye, Pochard and passage waders when a basin is drained. Ashford and Staines stations are both about a mile away.

8. Brent Reservoir (Welsh Harp)

A north-west London reservoir protected for its breeding waterbirds. Great Crested Grebe, Gadwall, Pochard, Common Tern and eight species of warbler nest. More than 250 species have been recorded. Nearest station: Hendon.

9. Wanstead Flats

Open grassland and scrub at the southern tip of Epping Forest. Skylarks breed here, one of the closest populations to central London. In April, May, August and September the scrub catches migrants: Wheatear, Whinchat, Redstart and Ring Ouzel.

10. Regent's Park and Kensington Gardens

Central London's best. Regent's Park has a heronry on the lake islands and a long list of migrants. Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park have Great Crested Grebes on the Long Water, Tawny Owls and tame woodland birds.

11. Lee Valley: Fishers Green

Flooded gravel pits north of Waltham Abbey. The Wildlife Discovery Centre at Seventy Acres Lake is one of the best places near London to see a winter Bittern. Nightingales sing in spring, and Kingfisher, Goldeneye and Water Rail are regular. Free to enter, with car park charges. Nearest station: Cheshunt.

12. Bushy Park

Richmond's quieter neighbour, next to Hampton Court. Parakeets, woodpeckers, Skylarks in the long grass and Kingfishers on the Longford River.

London birds by season

For what is moving this month, see October and November.

London specialities

• Ring-necked Parakeet: established since the 1970s and now across the whole city. Loud, green and long-tailed.
• Peregrine: breeds on tall buildings and hunts pigeons over the centre. Look up near the river. We do not list nest sites.
• Black Redstart: a rare British breeder that uses rooftops and industrial sites in the capital. More often seen on passage in March and October.
• Little Egret: now routine on the Thames and at every wetland.
• Egyptian Goose and Mandarin Duck: introduced, and easy in the parks.
• Gulls: the Thames and the reservoirs attract Yellow-legged and Caspian Gulls among the commoner species.

London birders: where to find local sightings

• London Bird Club Wiki: the daily sightings log for the London area, listed by date and site. Free to read.
• London Bird Club: the bird section of the London Natural History Society. It keeps the records and publishes the annual London Bird Report. Its recording area is a circle of 20 miles around St Paul's Cathedral, which is why sites such as Staines and Rainham count as London.
• Reserve pages: WWT, RSPB and London Wildlife Trust post recent sightings for their own sites.
• Our sightings map: what Where's That Bird users have logged near you.

If you are starting out, a pair of 8x42 binoculars and a field guide cover every site here except Staines, where a scope earns its place. Our garden birds guide covers the park regulars.