The Big Birdwatch on Hampstead Heath
From 27th to 29th of January, the Big Garden Birdwatch will take place. This is an RSPB event for the general public, which involves counting birds from your garden or from your local green space , such as Hampstead Heath, and reporting your sightings to the RSPB. If you’d like to take part or learn more about birds in general, make sure to read below for the Heath’s latest birdwatching events .
Best Birdwatching Locations
For the Big Garden Birdwatch, Hampstead Heath is a great place to visit, as it has a number of good locations for bird spotting . At the top of Parliament Hill, birds are often seen seasonally migrating together. The Bird Bridge is another good location to monitor a good volume of birds, due to being attracted by handouts of seeds from the public. The Bird Sanctuary Pond is another great place for birdwatching as it is free from public disturbance and has feeders on the West side (see map).
Birds to spot
All the main target birds to spot during the Big Garden Birdwatch can be seen on Hampstead Heath, as well as many scarcer species. These include declining House Sparrows around Parliament Hill, friendly Robins and flocks of Goldfinches. At this time of year you can also see winter migrant Redwings across the Heath. The Hampstead Heath Bird Report provides details on all the birds sighted on the Heath.
House Sparrrow by Keir Chauhan
Birdwatching events at the Heath
To promote the Big Garden Birdwatch, our Wildlife Interpreters will be hosting a Big Heath Birdwatch on 28th of January at the Bird Sanctuary Pond near the bird feeders from 1pm to 3pm. Join us to learn how to identifying and survey birds and find out what species you can see on the Heath. The event is free and all are welcome. No need to book - just drop in.
You can also join our Wildlife Interpreters on the 11th and 26th of February to watch and learn about waterbirds - more information, including their location will be on our events page.
On 19th February you can join a Hampstead Heath bird walk with the London Natural History Society, London Bird Club and Marylebone Birdwatching Society. The walk is free and available for all those who want to attend.
Visit our What’s on page for details of these events and more.
And if you’d like to support our local sparrow population and our bird-related conservation work, do consider adopting a sparrow terrace on Hampstead Heath! More info here.
Happy birdwatching!
