🔍 Overview Bright, musical, and common, the Goldfinch is one of Sussex’s most recognisable garden and countryside finches. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Small (12–13 cm)Plumage: Red face, gold wing flashes, black and white headDistinctive Marks: Vibrant red maskBill: Slim and pointedTail: ShortFlight: Bouncy and undulating 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Widespread across Sussex gardens, hedgerows,...
🔍 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 Britain’s smallest bird, flitting restlessly in Sussex conifer and mixed woodlands year‑round. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Tiny (8–9 cm) Plumage: Olive‑green above, buff below Distinctive Marks: Bright orange (male) or yellow (female) crest, black and white head stripes Bill: Very thin Tail: Very short Flight: Fast wingbeats with hovering habit 🗺️ Habitat &...
Image Attribution: JJ Harrison (https://tiny.jjharrison.com.au/t/3CuTyj5LtxrKUxYI), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons 🔍 Overview Scarce passage migrant in Sussex found in farmland or coastal fields. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium (28–31 cm) Plumage (breeding): Mottled gold and black Non‑breeding: Grey with pale underparts Distinctive Marks: Black belly patch in spring Bill: Short and straight Flight: Fast and...
Image Attribution: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sbern/, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons 🔍 Overview A striking diving duck, found in Sussex on freshwater lakes and reservoirs in winter. 🪶 Key Identification Features Male: Black-and-white with greenish head and golden eye Female: Grey body, brown head, yellow eye Both show a short, triangular head shape 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution...
🔍 Overview A winter visitor, the Fieldfare arrives in numbers across Sussex from October to March. A striking plump thrush with a loud contact call. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium (24–25 cm) Plumage: Grey head, reddish-brown back, heavily spotted underparts Distinctive Marks: White rump visible in flight Bill: Yellow with dark tip Tail: Longish...
🔍 Overview One of Britain’s tiniest birds, the Firecrest is a gem of Sussex woodlands, especially in winter. Brilliant head markings and fast movement make it a joy to spot. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Tiny (9 cm)Plumage: Olive green, white underpartsDistinctive Marks: Striped face, orange crown stripe (male), bold white superciliumBill: Short and fineTail:...
Image Attribution: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons 🔍 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...
Image Attribution: Mykola Swarnyk, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons 🔍 Overview A subtly beautiful dabbling duck, found across Sussex wetlands in winter and breeding in select sites. Very scarce breeder and scarce summer non-breeder; fairly common winter visitor; scarce on observed passage. 🪶 Key Identification Features Male: Grey body, black rump, white wing patch...
🔍 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...
