🔍 Overview Elegant and ornate, the Great Crested Grebe is a classic waterbird, known for its beautiful breeding display and slender profile. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium-large (46–51 cm)Plumage: White neck, black cap, chestnut and black face frillsDistinctive Marks: Elaborate head plumes (breeding)Bill: Long and pointedTail: Short and hiddenFlight: Rarely seen flying 🗺️ Habitat...
📍 Local Expert Tip “The Great Black-backed Gull is the largest gull in the world and a frequent sight anywhere along the tideline and at low tide in the Adur Estuary around the Toll Bridge. Breeds locally but very under-recorded so do keep an eye on local rooftops including on industrial estates.” 🔍 Overview The largest...
🔍 Overview A saw-billed diving duck seen in Sussex during the colder months. Hunts fish in clear, deep water. 🪶 Key Identification Features Male: White body, dark green head, red bill Female: Grey body, russet head, crest Long, narrow shape and low profile 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Winters at Goring Gap, and along River Adur....
🔍 Overview The UK’s largest seabird, the Gannet is a spectacular sight off Sussex coasts, plunge-diving with dramatic speed during migration. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Large seabird (87–100 cm)Plumage: White with black wingtips, yellowish headDistinctive Marks: Long, pointed wings and tailBill: Long, dagger-likeTail: Long and pointedFlight: Long, gliding arcs 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Seen...
🔍 Overview A stiff-winged seabird seen gliding along Sussex cliffs and offshore waters, especially during spring and summer. 🪶 Key Identification Features Gull-like but with tubenose nostrils Pale grey wings, white head and body Stiff, straight-winged flight 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Nests at Brighton Marina, Worthing Beaches, and Goring Gap. Often seen offshore in strong...
🔍 Overview The UK’s smallest dabbling duck, the Teal is a common winter visitor to Sussex wetlands. Males are striking, females subtly patterned. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Small duck (34–38 cm)Plumage: Males: chestnut head with green stripe; Females: mottled brownDistinctive Marks: Green wing patch (speculum)Bill: Small and darkTail: Neat, pointedFlight: Fast with rapid wingbeats...
🔍 Overview A perky and charismatic bird, the Stonechat is a year-round resident of Sussex heathland, scrub, and coastal edges. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Small (11–13 cm)Plumage: Males: black head, orange chest; Females: browner overallDistinctive Marks: White neck patch (male), tail flickingBill: Fine and pointedTail: Black and often flickedFlight: Bouncy with short bursts 🗺️...
📍 Local Expert Tip “The Dunlin is much declined but a regular winter flock present on the mudflats opposite Coronation Green / Town Quay and between the Railway and Toll Bridges. Passage birds in breeding plumage turn up in Spring, often seen on the river edge anywhere between the Ferry Bridge and Toll Bridge.” 🔍 Overview...
🔍 Overview A sleek fisher and silhouette of Sussex rivers, lakes, and coast. The Cormorant is an adaptable and widespread bird often seen drying its wings. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Large (80–100 cm)Plumage: Dark, glossy black with greenish sheenDistinctive Marks: Hooked bill, yellow throat patchBill: Long, hookedTail: Long and wedge-shapedFlight: Straight, low over water...
🔍 Overview Shiny and social, the Starling is a brilliant presence in Sussex fields and gardens. Known for its iridescent plumage and murmuring flocks. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium (20–22 cm) Plumage: Iridescent black with metallic purple/green sheen, speckled in winter Distinctive Marks: Pinkish legs Bill: Yellow in summer, dark in winter Tail: Short...
