🔍 Overview A once-regular migrant now much rarer in the UK. Occasionally reaches Sussex on autumn passage. 🪶 Key Identification Features Olive-grey head, yellow throat Pink bill and legs Warm brown upperparts 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Best chance is coastal farmland or clifftop fields around Beachy Head or Pagham in late August to early October....
🔍 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 scarce autumn migrant, typically seen on the Sussex coast during easterly winds. A large, upright pipit with a distinctive call. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Larger than Meadow Pipit (18–20 cm) Plumage: Buff-brown with fine streaking Posture: Upright stance, long tail and legs Call: Loud, sparrowhawk-like “shreep!” 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Most...
🔍 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 Europe’s rarest songbird and a globally threatened species. An extremely rare autumn passage migrant in Sussex. 🪶 Key Identification Features Pale crown stripe and creamy supercilium Buffy tones and fine dark streaks on back Slim build with fast, flicking tail 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Rarely seen, but autumn migrants may pass through coastal...
🔍 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 Once bred in Sussex but now a rare passage migrant, mainly in spring. Rare in summer with no confirmed breeding records since 2010. 🪶 Key Identification Features Bright lemon-yellow throat and white underparts Clear-cut green back and crown Quicker and brighter than Willow or Chiffchaff 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Can be seen in...
🔍 Overview A rare vagrant swallow from southern Europe. Only a handful of UK records, but sightings are increasing—including some from Sussex. 🪶 Key Identification Features Dusky brown plumage Square tail with pale spots Broad wings and fluttering flight 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Occasional birds seen hawking over cliffs, churches, or seafronts—One recorded at Truleigh...
🔍 Overview A rare spring overshoot from Eastern Europe. Occasionally appears in Sussex in May–June. 🪶 Key Identification Features Male: Blue-grey plumage with red legs and vent Female/Immature: Buff with dark streaks, rusty underparts, and pale face Flight: Agile, hovering like a kestrel 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution May be seen hunting over heathland, farmland, or...
🔍 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...
