🔍 Overview Now a familiar sight across Sussex wetlands. First bred in the UK in the 1990s and has spread rapidly. 🪶 Key Identification Features All white plumage Long black bill, black legs, yellow feet Elegant and slender with neck held in an “S” shape 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Widespread at Adur Valley, Widewater, Goring...
🔍 Overview A familiar falcon, the Kestrel hovers vigilantly over Sussex fields and roadsides, searching for small prey. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium raptor (34–38 cm)Plumage: Reddish-brown back, grey head (male)Distinctive Marks: Hovering behaviourBill: HookedTail: Long, fannedFlight: Stays stationary in wind 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Open farmland, roadside verges, heathland — look near Cissbury Ring...
🔍 Overview A flash of electric blue by Sussex waters — the Kingfisher is small but striking, and the emblem of healthy rivers. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Tiny (16–17 cm)Plumage: Bright blue back, orange underpartsDistinctive Marks: Large head, dagger billBill: Long and blackTail: Short and squareFlight: Fast, direct, just above water 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution...
📍 Local Expert Tip “The Lapwing is a regular but much declined winter visitor. The island by the Toll Bridge is a regular feeding area. At high tide, birds roost on the airfield but easily disturbed.” 🔍 Overview A dramatic and beloved farmland wader, the Lapwing is iconic in Sussex with its crest and acrobatic displays....
🔍 Overview A tiny, elusive wader best known for its bobbing motion and preference for wet, boggy ground. Winter visitor to Sussex. 🪶 Key Identification Features Smaller and more compact than Common Snipe Shorter bill and more cryptic plumage Subtle golden stripes on back 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Winters in wet meadows, reedbeds, and marshy...
🔍 Overview Common but declining summer visitor to Sussex, House Martins are aerial insectivores seen from April to November, often nesting under eaves in towns and villages. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Small (13 cm) Plumage: Glossy blue-black upperparts, white underparts Distinctive Marks: White rump, short forked tail Bill: Short and wide Flight: Fast, swooping...
🔍 Overview A familiar and widespread resident in Sussex, often associated with human settlements. Numbers declined but remain strong in many towns. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Small (14–15 cm) Plumage (male): Grey crown, black bib, chestnut nape Plumage (female): Plain brown with pale eyebrow Bill: Thick and conical Flight: Direct, fast with quick wingbeats...
🔍 Overview A large and familiar gull, breeding on Sussex coast and present year-round on coastal and inland water bodies. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Large (55–66 cm) Plumage: Light grey back, white body Distinctive Marks: Pink legs, yellow bill with red spot Bill: Long and robust Tail: Square Flight: Powerful, gliding 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution...
🔍 Overview A familiar, statuesque wader, the Grey Heron patrols Sussex waters year-round. Often seen standing motionless, waiting to strike. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Large (90–100 cm)Plumage: Grey body, white head with black crest stripeDistinctive Marks: S-shaped neck, long dagger-like billBill: Large and yellowishTail: Short and squareFlight: Slow wingbeats with tucked neck 🗺️ Habitat &...
📍 Local Expert Tip “A handful of birds can be seen most winters around the Adur Estuary and Goring Gap and Worthing beaches. A distinctive white-headed individual returned for at least five years from 2020 to the Adur Estuary favouring the section north of the Railway Bridge.” 🔍 Overview A robust, medium-large wader known for...
