🔍 Overview Rare Vagrant. A scarce migrant to Sussex, mostly in spring or autumn. Singing males are very rare but have occurred in recent decades during May/June. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Sparrow-sized (14 cm) Male: Bright rosy-red head, breast, and rump; brown wings and back Female/Immature: Streaky brown, resembles Greenfinch Bill: Thick and finch-like...
🔍 Overview A rare and irregular vagrant, especially in years of large movements from Eastern Europe. Often appears in summer. 🪶 Key Identification Features Adult: Pink body, black head and wings Juvenile: Pale brown and starling-like Size: Slightly smaller than Common Starling (19–22 cm) 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Sightings across Sussex, often in coastal gardens,...
🔍 Overview A scarce and secretive spring migrant. Most Sussex records come from May and early June, especially after easterly winds. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Similar to Reed Warbler (13 cm) Plumage: Plain brown above, pale below Bill: Straight, pale base Other: No obvious features—best identified by song 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Occasionally found...
🔍 Overview Rare passage migrant and summer visitor; may have bred in 1965. A stunning but secretive migrant, the Golden Oriole is a rare spring overshoot in Sussex, most often detected by its flute-like song. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Blackbird-sized (24 cm) Male: Brilliant golden-yellow with black wings Female/Immature: Duller greenish-yellow Flight: Direct and...
🔍 Overview Formerly bred in the UK, now a scarce passage migrant through Sussex, mostly in spring and early autumn. 🪶 Key Identification Features Males: grey head, black mask, chestnut back Females: brown with scalloped underparts Perches on bushes or posts, upright stance 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Most likely at coastal scrub and farmland edges,...
🔍 Overview A striking, rare migrant to Sussex, mostly in spring. This southern European shrike stands out thanks to its bright plumage and predatory habits. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Larger than a Robin (17–18 cm) Plumage: Chestnut crown, black eye mask, white underparts, and black-and-white wings Other: Hooked bill 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Best...
🔍 Overview A spectacular Mediterranean visitor that is becoming more regular in the UK. Occasionally breeds and increasingly reported on passage in Sussex. Bred once in 1955 in our area. 🪶 Key Identification Features Rainbow plumage with blue, yellow, chestnut Long, curved bill Graceful, swallow-like flight 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Most sightings occur May–June and...
🔍 Overview A colourful spring overshoot from southern Europe. Seen annually in Sussex, often in gardens or open grassland. 🪶 Key Identification Features Pinkish-orange body Striking black-and-white wings Large crest often raised in display 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Favours golf courses, lawns, and grazed fields. Sightings from Brighton, Chichester, Beachy Head, and Ashdown Forest are...
🔍 Overview A rare passage raptor and former UK breeder. Sussex sightings usually involve migrants over open countryside. Last bred successfully in 1962. 🪶 Key Identification Features Slim, elegant harrier Males: pale grey with black wingtips Females: brown with narrow wings and white rump 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Most likely in spring (April–May) or autumn...
🔍 Overview Rare vagrant. An increasingly regular spring overshoot migrant from continental Europe, Black Kites are now annually recorded in Sussex. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Large (60 cm; wingspan 150–170 cm) Plumage: Dark brown overall Tail: Slightly forked, less pronounced than Red Kite Flight: Graceful, with distinctive gliding 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Sightings peak...
