🔍 Overview A small and elegant grebe, mainly seen in winter along the Sussex coast and occasionally inland. Scarce winter visitor and passage migrant. 🪶 Key Identification Features Black and white in winter Bright red eye Small bill and peaked crown 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Scarce but regular offshore from Goring Gap, Brighton Marina, Lancing ...
🔍 Overview A distinctive dabbling duck with a comically large bill, found widely in Sussex in winter and during passage. 🪶 Key Identification Features Large spatula-shaped bill Male: green head, white breast, chestnut flanks Feeds by sweeping bill side-to-side 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Found in Pulborough Brooks, Goring Gap, Brighton Marina, and Brooklands, mainly September–May....
🔍 Overview A slim, green-glossed seabird often confused with the Cormorant, but favouring rockier coastal habitats. Scarce winter visitor and passage migrant; rare away from coast. 🪶 Key Identification Features Slender with a long, thin bill Dark green sheen Crest visible in breeding adults 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Regular off Brighton Marina, Worthing Beaches, and...
🔍 Overview A smart, crested seabird with a harsh call, the Sandwich Tern is a common coastal summer visitor in Sussex. Localised breeding summer visitor and common passage migrant; very scarce winter visitor. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium tern (37–43 cm)Plumage: Pale grey and white with black capDistinctive Marks: Yellow-tipped black billBill: Long and slenderTail:...
🔍 Overview A streaky, coastal pipit often found on rocky shores and harbour walls in winter. Scarce resident and scarce winter visitor; very rare away from the coast. 🪶 Key Identification Features Dark olive-brown overall Heavily streaked underparts Slightly downcurved bill and tail-flicking behaviour 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Winter visitor to Brighton Marina, Shoreham Harbour,...
📍 Local Expert Tip ” The Ringed Plover is much declined but still a regular sight in autumn and winter on the mudflats opposite Coronation Green / Town Quay and between the Railway and Toll Bridges. Also found roosting at high tide on the beach by Widewater often with Dunlin. Numbers peak in late August as...
🔍 Overview A sleek, elegant diver seen off the Sussex coast in winter. The Red-throated Diver is the commonest diver here. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Large (55–67 cm)Plumage: Grey above, pale below; breeding birds have red throat patchDistinctive Marks: Thin upturned billBill: Straight and slenderTail: ShortFlight: Strong and purposeful 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Wintering offshore...
🔍 Overview A powerful seabird seen offshore during migration. Rare but regular in Sussex seawatches. Passage migrant in variable numbers in spring; usually scarce; very scarce in autumn; rare in winter. 🪶 Key Identification Features Bulky skua with two twisted tail feathers in adults Pale, dark, or intermediate plumages Barrel-chested and aggressive 🗺️ Habitat &...
🔍 Overview The Razorbill is a chunky seabird seen off Sussex in winter or during migration. Related to puffins and guillemots. Common winter visitor and fairly common passage migrant; last bred in 1878. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium auk (37–39 cm)Plumage: Black above, white belowDistinctive Marks: Thick black bill with white lineBill: Stubby and deepTail:...
📍 Local Expert Tip “At Shoreham Harbour, birds regularly roost at high tide on the old wooden jetty on the west side but can be hard to spot. Shortly before and after high tide, birds can feed relatively close on the concrete ledges of the western harbour arm.” 🔍 Overview A hardy wader of rocky...
