🔍 Overview A striking summer migrant, the Common Redstart is a woodland gem in Sussex. Males are vibrant, and the species nests in old tree holes and clearings. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Small (13–14 cm)Plumage: Males: orange chest, grey back, black face; Females dullerDistinctive Marks: Flashing red tail, white forehead in malesBill: Thin and...
🔍 Overview Renowned for its rich, powerful song, the Nightingale is a special summer visitor to Sussex. A priority species with strongholds in dense thickets and scrubland. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Small (15–17 cm)Plumage: Warm brown with reddish tailDistinctive Marks: Unmarked face, plain plumageBill: Fine, darkTail: Reddish and roundedFlight: Low and darting 🗺️ Habitat...
🔍 Overview Harbinger of spring, the Common Cuckoo is famous for its call and brood parasitism. A declining summer visitor to Sussex heathlands and open woodland. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium (32–34 cm)Plumage: Grey above, pale barred underpartsDistinctive Marks: Long tail, pointed wingsBill: Slim and slightly down-curvedTail: Long, slightly notchedFlight: Swift and falcon-like 🗺️...
🔍 Overview A chunky finch with a unique bill adapted for extracting conifer seeds. Irregular breeder and irruptive winter visitor in Sussex. 🪶 Key Identification Features Male: Brick-red body Female/juvenile: Greenish or yellow Other: Thick neck, crossed bill tips, heavy head 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Best found in pine plantations like Ashdown Forest, St Leonard’s...
🔍 Overview Once rare, now a regular and expanding presence in Sussex, especially during winter. It is an increasing visitor and bred for the first time in 2020. 🪶 Key Identification Features Winter: White plumage, short yellow bill Breeding: Buff patches on head, chest, and back Other: Smaller and stockier than Little Egret 🗺️ Habitat...
🔍 Overview An increasingly regular large gull in Sussex, especially in winter. Tricky to identify but becoming more familiar to keen observers. 🪶 Key Identification Features Adult: Long-legged, pale grey mantle, small dark eye Other: Long, parallel-sided bill, flat-headed profile Juvenile: Pale underwing, long-winged appearance 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Best found at landfill sites, gull...
🔍 Overview A small Arctic-breeding swan, seen in Sussex on winter migration. Scarcer than Whooper Swan. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Smaller than Mute Swan Bill: Short yellow patch near the base (rounded compared to Whooper) Other: Neat neck, sociable in flocks 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Occasional at Amberley Wild Brooks, Pulborough Brooks, and Pagham...
