🔍 Overview A stunning scarce winter visitor, usually seen among flocks of Brent or Barnacle Geese. Some may be of captive origin. 🪶 Key Identification Features Compact goose with bold black, white, and red plumage Red face and breast bordered with white Small bill, fast flight 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Occasionally recorded at Pagham Harbour,...
🔍 Overview A rare winter vagrant from northeast Europe and Asia, Little Bunting is most likely in late autumn or winter in Sussex. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Smaller than a Chaffinch (12.5 cm) Plumage: Warm brown with fine streaks Face: Chestnut ear coverts, white eye-ring, thin dark moustache Tail: Short, notched 🗺️ Habitat &...
🔍 Overview A scarce winter visitor and passage migrant, typically associated with coastal grasslands and fields. 🪶 Key Identification Features Streaky brown body Blackish crown and bib (in breeding plumage) White outer tail feathers and chestnut nape 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Best looked for in stubble fields or coastal rough ground around Beachy Head, Seaford,...
🔍 Overview A rare Mediterranean vagrant, with a few Sussex records, especially after southerly winds in spring or autumn. 🪶 Key Identification Features Males: black cap, white throat, grey body Females: brownish-grey with duller cap Red eye-ring is diagnostic 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Prefers coastal scrub and gorse at Beachy Head, Hope Gap, or Pagham...
🔍 Overview A scarce autumn migrant to Sussex from Siberia, increasing in frequency. 🪶 Key Identification Features Tiny greenish warbler Bold yellow supercilium and wingbars Constantly flitting through foliage 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Found in coastal trees and gardens, especially at Seaford Head, Beachy Head, and Pagham, mainly in late September–October. 🎶 Voice & Behaviour...
🔍 Overview A striking winter visitor and scarce migrant to Sussex, favouring open habitats with scattered trees. 🪶 Key Identification Features Pale grey above, white below Bold black face mask and strong hooked bill Black wings and white outer tail 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Regular sightings in winter in areas like Ashdown Forest, Ambersham Common,...
🔍 Overview A scarce but increasing visitor and occasional breeder in Sussex, especially in coastal wetlands. 🪶 Key Identification Features Large white bird with spoon-shaped bill Black legs, yellowish breast patch in breeding season Often rests with neck tucked back 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Regular at Rye Harbour, Pagham Harbour, and Pulborough Brooks, mainly from...
🔍 Overview A critically endangered seabird from the western Mediterranean, seen irregularly off the Sussex coast on passage. Very scarce spring to autumn visitor. 🪶 Key Identification Features Dusky brown above, paler below Slender wings and rapid, shearing flight Typically darker overall than Manx Shearwater 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Best spotted during sea-watches off Selsey...
🔍 Overview A rare but regular passage migrant, mostly seen offshore during autumn. Often confused with Arctic Skua, but more graceful in flight. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium skua (38–46 cm) Breeding adult: Pale belly, long pointed tail streamers Non-breeding/juvenile: Slim, tern-like, with finer markings than other skuas Flight: Buoyant, agile 🗺️ Habitat &...
🔍 Overview A rare vagrant from North America, with a few well-documented Sussex records, especially after Atlantic storms. 🪶 Key Identification Features Medium-sized gull with long wings Adult: black hood, white eye arcs, dark red bill Immature: dark tail band and dusky plumage 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Most likely at Brighton seafront, Shoreham, or large...
