Find Birds by Location

🔍 Overview Powerful and agile, the Arctic Skua is a pirate of the skies, best known in Sussex as a scarce but thrilling passage migrant. Fairly common spring and scarce…

🔍 Overview Delicate and graceful, the Arctic Tern is a long-distance migrant famous for its epic pole-to-pole journey. Every year, Arctic Terns migrate from the Arctic Circle to the Antarctic…

🔍 Overview Striking and elegant, the Avocet is a rare but iconic wader in Sussex, most commonly spotted at coastal wetlands and saltmarshes. With its upturned bill and bold black-and-white…

🔍 Overview Fairly common winter visitor and passage migrant. Elegant and slender, the Bar-tailed Godwit is a regular passage and winter visitor to Sussex’s coastal mudflats, especially around Goring Gap, Widewater,…

🔍 Overview Ghostly and ethereal, the Barn Owl is one of Sussex’s most iconic nocturnal hunters. Often glimpsed at dusk, silently quartering open fields and meadows. 🪶 Key Identification Features…

🔍 Overview A true summer migrant, the Barn Swallow brings the Sussex countryside to life with its graceful flight and cheerful chirping. It nests in barns and outbuildings, often returning…

🔍 Overview A reedbed specialist with a misleading name—more closely related to larks than tits. A scarce breeder and winter visitor in Sussex. 🪶 Key Identification Features Male: Ginger body,…

🔍 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…

📍 Local Expert Tip ” Black Redstarts are passage birds, especially in Autumn can be seen along the tops of the Downs especially where there are farm buildings. A few individuals…

🔍 Overview A graceful marsh tern seen on migration in spring and autumn. Not a regular breeder in the UK. 🪶 Key Identification Features Breeding: Smoky-black body, grey wings Non-breeding:…

🔍 Overview The most familiar gull in Sussex, especially around coastal towns, wetlands, and inland reservoirs. Not truly black-headed – its breeding plumage features a chocolate-brown hood. 🪶 Key Identification…

🔍 Overview Elegant and long-legged, the Black-tailed Godwit is a regular visitor to Sussex wetlands. Numbers peak during passage and winter, with flocks frequenting Pulborough Brooks and Adur Valley. 🪶…

🔍 Overview A scarce winter visitor to Sussex seas. Less frequently recorded than Red-throated Diver, but regular offshore. 🪶 Key Identification Features Winter: Sleek grey head, dark back, clean white…

🔍 Overview One of the most familiar garden birds in Sussex. Males are sleek black with a bright yellow bill, while females are dark brown. Common across gardens, woodlands, and…

🕊️ Blackcap 🔍 Overview A sweet-singing warbler, the Blackcap is both a breeding bird and winter visitor in Sussex. Males are known for their rich, fluting song and distinctive cap….

🔍 Overview A colourful and acrobatic garden favourite across Sussex. Found in almost any habitat with trees and shrubs, especially fond of garden feeders. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Small…

🔍 Overview The Brambling is a winter finch visitor from Scandinavia, adding colour and excitement to Sussex flocks. Most often seen in beech woods or mixed with Chaffinches in farmland….

🔍 Overview Small and dark, the Brent Goose is a winter visitor to Sussex’s coastal mudflats. Most common from October to March, often in large flocks feeding on eelgrass and…

🔍 Overview Quiet and striking, the Bullfinch is a shy woodland resident in Sussex. Often seen in pairs, it’s more often heard by its soft call than seen clearly. 🪶…

🔍 Overview A large, familiar goose introduced from North America. Now widespread across Sussex, especially near lakes, ponds, and parklands. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Large (90–100 cm) Plumage: Brown…

🔍 Overview Intelligent, all-black crow commonly seen in fields, parks, and towns across Sussex. Wary but often curious, it adapts well to both rural and urban habitats. 🪶 Key Identification…

🔍 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…

🔍 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…

📍 Local Expert Tip “The Cetti’s Warbler is a relatively recent coloniser from the Continent and can be reliably found at Brooklands Park, along the stream and around the lake, where…

🔍 Overview One of the most colourful and common finches in Sussex. Males are especially bright in spring. Found in gardens, woodlands, and farmland year-round. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size:…

🔍 Overview A small, agile woodland bird that often joins mixed flocks in Sussex woodlands and gardens. Less bold than the blue tit but just as active and vocal. 🪶…

🔍 Overview A soft-toy-sized dove commonly seen in Sussex gardens and villages. Notable for its gentle cooing and distinctive black neck collar. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium (32 cm)…

🔍 Overview Once rare, the Common Buzzard is now Sussex’s most widespread raptor. Often seen circling high above woodland and farmland, especially in spring. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium-large…

🔍 Overview A small, greenish warbler, arriving in Sussex each spring. Known for its rhythmic, onomatopoeic “chiff-chaff” song. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Very small (10–12 cm) Plumage: Olive-grey above,…

🔍 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:…

🔍 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…

🔍 Overview Britain’s heaviest duck, more common in northern UK but occasionally seen off Sussex coasts. Scarce winter visitor and passage migrant; very scarce non-breeder in summer. 🪶 Key Identification…

🔍 Overview A sleek seabird, the Common Guillemot is mostly seen off Sussex during winter or on spring sea-watches, though breeding colonies lie further west. Last bred in 1904. 🪶…

🔍 Overview A medium-sized gull frequenting Sussex coasts, estuaries, and inland waters—different from the larger black-headed and herring gulls. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium (42–45 cm) Plumage: Slim build,…

🔍 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…

Very common introduced resident. Population augmented annually by captive bred stock.

🔍 Overview A diving duck, the Pochard is a regular winter visitor to Sussex lakes and gravel pits. Males are handsome with a rusty head and striking grey body. 🪶…

📍 Local Expert Tip “The Estuary around the Ferry Bridge, Norfolk Bridge and RSPB Adur sections are favoured areas as is the area between the Railway and Old Toll Bridges….

🔍 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…

📍 Local Expert Tip “The Common Sandpiper is a passage migrant with birds visible anywhere along the river. However, the section around the old Cement Works is a reliable section and…

🔍 Overview The Common Scoter is a sea duck seen off the Sussex coast in winter or on spring migration. Usually in flocks, often distant offshore. 🪶 Key Identification Features…

🔍 Overview Large, bold, and elegant, the Common Shelduck is often seen on Sussex estuaries and coastal lagoons, particularly at low tide. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Large duck (58–67…

📍 Local Expert Tip “The Snipe is a winter visitor from October to April with a peak in January and February. Often difficult to see but on high tides flocks of…

🔍 Overview Shiny and social, the Starling is a brilliant presence in Sussex fields and gardens. Known for its iridescent plumage and murmuring flocks. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium…

🔍 Overview The quintessential summer sky-dweller in Sussex, Swifts arrive in May and leave by August. Spend nearly all daylight hours on the wing. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium…

🔍 Overview Nicknamed the “sea swallow,” the Common Tern is a graceful summer breeder in Sussex, nesting on shingle islands and lagoons. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium (31–35 cm)Plumage:…

🔍 Overview A lively warbler of Sussex hedgerows and scrub, the Whitethroat is known for its chattering song and concealed habitat preference. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Small (13–14 cm)…

🔍 Overview Common and unmistakable, the Coot is a year-round resident of Sussex ponds, lakes, and rivers. Not as friendly as it looks! 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium (36–38…

🔍 Overview A sleek fisher and silhouette of Sussex rivers, lakes, and coast. The Cormorant is an adaptable and widespread bird often seen drying its wings. 🪶 Key Identification Features…

📍 Local Expert Tip “The Corn Bunting is the ‘Fat Man of the Barley’ suffered massive declines nationally. Sussex remains a stronghold and Steep Down, north of Lancing Ring is one…

🔍 Overview The largest wader regularly recorded in Sussex, the Curlew’s haunting call is a highlight of coastal reserves and estuaries. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Large (50–60 cm) Plumage:…

🔍 Overview A scarce passage wader, most often seen in Sussex during autumn. Breeds in Arctic Siberia and winters in Africa. 🪶 Key Identification Features Breeding plumage: Reddish underparts, long…

🔍 Overview A local Sussex speciality and year-round resident of heathland. A small, dark warbler with a big personality. 🪶 Key Identification Features Male: Dark grey above, reddish below, red…

📍 Local Expert Tip “The Dunlin is much declined but a regular winter flock present on the mudflats opposite Coronation Green / Town Quay and between the Railway and Toll Bridges….

🔍 Overview A shy, understated passerine of Sussex gardens and shrubberies. Often mistaken for a sparrow, but with a skittish, furtive nature. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Small (14 cm)…

🔍 Overview A non-native species now breeding freely in parts of Sussex. Recognisable and increasingly widespread. 🪶 Key Identification Features Pale buff plumage with dark chest patch Eye-ring and chestnut…

🔍 Overview A shy and rare reedbed resident, hard to see but occasionally present in Sussex. Known for its booming call. 🪶 Key Identification Features Cryptic, streaked brown plumage Stocky…

🔍 Overview A perky and charismatic bird, the Stonechat is a year-round resident of Sussex heathland, scrub, and coastal edges. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Small (11–13 cm)Plumage: Males: black…

🔍 Overview The UK’s smallest dabbling duck, the Teal is a common winter visitor to Sussex wetlands. Males are striking, females subtly patterned. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Small duck…

🔍 Overview Tiny and camouflaged, the Treecreeper is a specialist of Sussex woodland—often climbing up tree trunks hunting for insects. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Small (12–13 cm) Plumage: Brown…

📍 Local Expert Tip “The Whimbrel is a regular Spring and Autumn passage migrant with a few birds likely present most days from mid-April to end of May and again from…

🔍 Overview A common and elegant winter duck, the Wigeon forms large flocks on Sussex wetlands. Easily identified by its whistling call. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium duck (45–51…

Common resident.

🔍 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:…

🔍 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….

🔍 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,…

🔍 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…

🔍 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:…

🔍 Overview A shy and secretive summer breeder in Sussex woodlands. Common in May–July, it’s more often heard than seen, with a rich, beautiful song. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size:…

🔍 Overview A scarce and elegant spring migrant, typically seen in Sussex from March to May. 🪶 Key Identification Features Male: Distinctive white eye-stripe, brown head, patterned flanks Female: Similar…

🔍 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…

🔍 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…

🔍 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…

🔍 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…

🔍 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…

🔍 Overview A powerful and secretive raptor, often dubbed the ‘phantom of the forest’. Rarely seen, but breeds in parts of Sussex. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Larger and bulkier…

📍 Local Expert Tip “The Great Black-backed Gull is the largest gull in the world and a frequent sight anywhere along the tideline and at low tide in the Adur Estuary…

🔍 Overview Elegant and ornate, the Great Crested Grebe is a classic waterbird, known for its beautiful breeding display and slender profile. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium-large (46–51 cm)Plumage:…

🔍 Overview A large, impressive diver, mostly seen off the Sussex coast in winter. Known for its haunting breeding calls in summer range. 🪶 Key Identification Features Winter plumage: Blackish…

🔍 Overview A bold and familiar woodpecker in Sussex, frequenting woodlands, parks, and gardens throughout the year. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium (23 cm) Plumage: Black and white pattern, red…

🔍 Overview A large, vocal tit common in Sussex gardens, woodlands, and parks year-round. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium (14 cm) Plumage: Yellow belly and green back Distinctive Marks: Black…

🔍 Overview A striking, large white heron now increasingly regular in Sussex, both on migration and as a breeder. 🪶 Key Identification Features Pure white plumage Long yellow bill (turns…

🔍 Overview Scarce spring and autumn passage migrant; more frequent in autumn; scarce in winter. A secretive, bobbing wader of wet woodland edges and inland pools, usually seen on migration….

🔍 Overview A colourful, ground-feeding woodpecker, frequently seen on lawns in Sussex, known locally as the “yaffle.” 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Large (31 cm) Plumage: Green body, red crown, black…

🔍 Overview A stout, seed-eating finch common at Sussex feeders, especially in winter and spring. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Small (16 cm) Plumage: Olive-green with yellow wing and tail bars…

📍 Local Expert Tip “The Greenshank is generally a passage migrant in small numbers along the edge of the Estuary. However since 2019 a bird has wintered being faithful to the…

🔍 Overview A familiar, statuesque wader, the Grey Heron patrols Sussex waters year-round. Often seen standing motionless, waiting to strike. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Large (90–100 cm)Plumage: Grey body, white…

🔍 Overview A farmland bird once common across Sussex, now very scarce due to habitat loss and agricultural changes. Much declined but benefiting locally through conservation effort. 🪶 Key Identification…

📍 Local Expert Tip “A handful of birds can be seen most winters around the Adur Estuary and Goring Gap and Worthing beaches. A distinctive white-headed individual returned for at…

🔍 Overview A vibrant, long-tailed wagtail often found near fast-moving water, especially in upland Sussex streams and winter gardens. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Small (18–20 cm)Plumage: Grey back, bright yellow…

🔍 Overview The ancestor of domestic geese, the Greylag Goose is common in Sussex pastures, lakes, and coastal marshes, often in large flocks. (Native population in UK is Amber listed…

🔍 Overview Britain’s largest finch, known for its massive bill and shy nature. Scarce in Sussex but winter sightings increasing. 🪶 Key Identification Features Bulky finch with thick neck Huge,…

🔍 Overview An elegant raptor of open country, once bred in Sussex but now mainly seen on passage or wintering on the Downs. 🪶 Key Identification Features Male: Pale grey…

🔍 Overview A large and familiar gull, breeding on Sussex coast and present year-round on coastal and inland water bodies. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Large (55–66 cm) Plumage: Light grey…

🔍 Overview A dashing summer falcon, superb aerial hunter of dragonflies and hirundines. Increasingly regular breeder in Sussex. 🪶 Key Identification Features Slim, falcon-shaped Slate-grey above, orange ‘trousers’ below Striking…

🔍 Overview Common but declining summer visitor to Sussex, House Martins are aerial insectivores seen from April to November, often nesting under eaves in towns and villages. 🪶 Key Identification…

🔍 Overview A familiar and widespread resident in Sussex, often associated with human settlements. Numbers declined but remain strong in many towns. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Small (14–15 cm)…

🔍 Overview A tiny, elusive wader best known for its bobbing motion and preference for wet, boggy ground. Winter visitor to Sussex. 🪶 Key Identification Features Smaller and more compact…

🔍 Overview The smallest UK crow, Jackdaws are common across Sussex’s farmlands, towns, and woodlands. Known for their curious, intelligent behaviour. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium (33 cm) Plumage:…

🔍 Overview A secretive woodland crow, the Jay is colourful and increasingly seen in Sussex gardens—especially in autumn when caching acorns. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium (34 cm) Plumage:…

🔍 Overview A familiar falcon, the Kestrel hovers vigilantly over Sussex fields and roadsides, searching for small prey. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium raptor (34–38 cm)Plumage: Reddish-brown back, grey head…

🔍 Overview A flash of electric blue by Sussex waters — the Kingfisher is small but striking, and the emblem of healthy rivers. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Tiny (16–17 cm)Plumage:…

🔍 Overview A delicate, cliff-loving gull, the Kittiwake may be seen from Sussex headlands during passage or following ships. Common but very localised breeding species; fairly common or common winter…

🔍 Overview A gorgeous winter wader, the Knot in plumage can appear almost white or deep cinnamon in spring plumage along coastlines. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Stocky wader (23–26 cm)Plumage:…

📍 Local Expert Tip “The Lapwing is a regular but much declined winter visitor. The island by the Toll Bridge is a regular feeding area. At high tide, birds roost on…

🔍 Overview A powerful gull with dark slate-grey back, the Lesser Black-backed Gull winters along Sussex coast and inland waters. Scarce breeder. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Large gull (55–60 cm)Plumage:…

🔍 Overview Britain’s smallest and rarest woodpecker. Once more widespread in Sussex, now very scarce and local. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size of a sparrow Black and white barred back…

📍 Local Expert Tip “The Lesser Whitethroat locally, is far less common than Common Whitethroat and much more elusive. Best found by learning its song and then patiently waiting for a…

  🔍 Overview Common but decreasing resident and partial migrant. A finch of open countryside and coastal scrub, Linnets are declining in parts of Sussex but remain in farmland and…

🔍 Overview Now a familiar sight across Sussex wetlands. First bred in the UK in the 1990s and has spread rapidly. 🪶 Key Identification Features All white plumage Long black…

🔍 Overview Also known as “Dabchick,” the Little Grebe is a small, round diving bird commonly found on Sussex ponds and lakes. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Tiny (25–29 cm)Plumage: Chestnut…

🔍 Overview The smallest gull in the world, the Little Gull is a scarce but regular passage migrant along the Sussex coast. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Very small (25–29 cm)Plumage:…

🔍 Overview A charming, stocky owl introduced to Britain in the 19th century. Now widespread in Sussex farmland and parkland. 🪶 Key Identification Features Small, rounded body Yellow eyes with…

🔍 Overview A dainty wader that breeds on bare, stony ground. Summer visitor and breeder in parts of Sussex. 🪶 Key Identification Features Sandy brown upperparts, white belly Bright yellow…

🔍 Overview A tiny Arctic-breeding wader seen on passage, especially in autumn. One of the smallest shorebirds in Sussex. 🪶 Key Identification Features Small, delicate wader with fine bill and…

🔍 Overview A summer breeder on Sussex’s shingle beaches, the Little Tern is small, agile, and highly vocal. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Very small tern (22–24 cm)Plumage: Pale grey above,…

🔍 Overview A secretive and nocturnal owl, best located by winter roosts. Uncommon but present year-round in Sussex. 🪶 Key Identification Features Slim owl with long ear tufts Orange eyes…

🔍 Overview A striking Arctic duck, usually seen off the Sussex coast in winter. Rare inland. 🪶 Key Identification Features Male winter: White head and body, dark cheek patch, long…

🔍 Overview A delightful and highly social garden and woodland bird. Easily recognisable by its fluffy body and very long tail. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Small (14 cm including…

🔍 Overview A familiar black-and-white bird in Sussex gardens and fields, with a reputation for intelligence and bold behaviour. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium-large (44–46 cm) Plumage: Black and…

🔍 Overview The UK’s most familiar duck, the Mallard is a common sight on Sussex’s lakes, rivers, ponds, and even urban parks year-round. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Large (58…

🔍 Overview An introduced species from Asia, now thriving in parts of Sussex. Arguably the most ornamental duck in Britain. 🪶 Key Identification Features Male: Bright orange sail-like feathers, ornate…

🔍 Overview A true ocean wanderer, the Manx Shearwater is seen passing Sussex headlands on migration—graceful and fast over waves.Fairly common spring to autumn passage migrant. 🪶 Key Identification Features…

🔍 Overview A large, graceful raptor of reedbeds and marshes. Recolonised Sussex in recent years after a long absence. Scarce breeder since 2004. 🪶 Key Identification Features Long wings held…

🔍 Overview A quiet, elusive resident of mature Sussex woodlands. Easily confused with the Willow Tit, though rarer locally. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Small (11.5 cm) Plumage: Pale underparts,…

🔍 Overview A slender, streaky bird of open habitats. Common across Sussex heathlands, downs, and coastal marshes. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Small (15 cm) Plumage: Streaky brown above, pale…

📍 Local Expert Tip “The Mediterranean Gull is a species undergoing a dramatic range expansion and now breeds in Sussex although not in the local area. However, in Spring the high…

🔍 Overview The UK’s smallest falcon, a fierce and fast hunter often seen darting low over open country. Winter visitor in Sussex. 🪶 Key Identification Features Small and compact Male:…

🔍 Overview Larger and bolder than the Song Thrush, Mistle Thrushes are widespread across Sussex in woodland edges, parks, and open countryside. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Large (27 cm)…

🔍 Overview Common in Sussex wetlands, the Moorhen is a dark, duck-sized waterbird with a red bill and a quirky personality. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium (30–35 cm)Plumage: Dark brown-black…

🔍 Overview A majestic symbol of British waterways, the Mute Swan is common across Sussex’s lakes, rivers, and estuaries. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Very large (140–160 cm wingspan)Plumage: All whiteDistinctive…

An elusive summer visitor, the Nightjar haunts heathland and woodland clearings, emerging at dusk. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium (26–28 cm)Plumage: Cryptic grey-brownDistinctive Marks: White wing spots (male), long wingsBill:…

📍 Local Expert Tip “The Wheatear is a a regular passage migrant in Spring and Autumn. Shoreham Fort often records the first birds heading north in Spring from mid-March but can…

🔍 Overview An acrobatic woodland resident that creeps down tree trunks headfirst. Widespread in Sussex’s mature broadleaf woodlands. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium-small (14 cm) Plumage: Blue-grey upperparts, buff…

🔍 Overview A striking fish-eating raptor that passes through Sussex on spring and autumn migration. 🪶 Key Identification Features Large with long wings and narrow “M” shape in flight White…

📍 Local Expert Tip “The Oystercatcher is a distinctive and noisy local resident which is adapting to man by breeding on flat roofs close to the river such as at…

🔍 Overview The world’s fastest bird, this powerful falcon is now a regular breeder on cliffs and urban buildings in Sussex. 🪶 Key Identification Features Slate-grey upperparts Heavy black moustache…

🔍 Overview A smart, black-and-white songbird seen mainly on spring and autumn passage in Sussex. Scarce breeder. 🪶 Key Identification Features Male: Black above, white below, white wing patches Female:…

  🔍 Overview Common resident; passage migrant and winter visitor. A highly mobile black-and-white bird with a constantly bobbing tail, common across Sussex towns and countryside. 🪶 Key Identification Features…

The Pintail is a sleek and elegant winter duck in Sussex, known for its long tail and graceful posture. A regular visitor to floodplains and estuaries. 🪶 Key Identification Features…

🔍 Overview A powerful seabird seen offshore during migration. Rare but regular in Sussex seawatches. Passage migrant in variable numbers in spring; usually scarce; very scarce in autumn; rare in…

📍 Local Expert Tip “At Shoreham Harbour, birds regularly roost at high tide on the old wooden jetty on the west side but can be hard to spot. Shortly before…

🔍 Overview A small, elusive bird that visits Sussex in summer. More often heard than seen. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size of a starling Brown with striped back and pale…

🔍 Overview The Raven is a powerful and intelligent corvid, now increasingly common in Sussex, especially near cliffs and upland woods. Fairly common breeding resident; first bred in modern era…

🔍 Overview The Razorbill is a chunky seabird seen off Sussex in winter or during migration. Related to puffins and guillemots. Common winter visitor and fairly common passage migrant; last…

🔍 Overview A soaring success story, the Red Kite is increasingly spotted across Sussex, often gliding effortlessly with a forked tail. Fairly common breeding resident (first bred in 2004) and…

🔍 Overview A winter coastal duck, the Red-breasted Merganser is slim, shaggy-headed, and a fast swimmer along the Sussex shoreline. Fairly common winter visitor and passage migrant along the coast….

Common introduced resident. Population augmented annually by captive bred stock.

🔍 Overview A sleek, elegant diver seen off the Sussex coast in winter. The Red-throated Diver is the commonest diver here. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Large (55–67 cm)Plumage: Grey above,…

🔍 Overview A tiny finch with a crimson cap, the Redpoll is a winter visitor to Sussex, occasionally forming flocks in birch woods and weedy patches. 🪶 Key Identification Features…

🔍 Overview A winter thrush from Scandinavia. Redwings arrive in Sussex around October and often form flocks with Fieldfares. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium (21 cm) Plumage: Brown back,…

🔍 Overview Often overlooked, the Reed Bunting is a hardy year-round resident of Sussex wetlands, with striking plumage in spring. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Sparrow-sized (13–15 cm)Plumage: Males have black…

🔍 Overview A secretive, common  summer visitor to Sussex reedbeds, the Reed Warbler is best located by its repetitive, rhythmic song during breeding season. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Small…

🔍 Overview A summer thrush from upland Britain, seen in Sussex during spring and autumn migration. 🪶 Key Identification Features Blackish plumage with pale wing edges Bold white crescent across…

🔍 Overview A striking green parrot with a growing presence in Sussex, especially around urban parks and gardens. Scarce introduced resident; has bred. 🪶 Key Identification Features Bright green plumage…

📍 Local Expert Tip ” The Ringed Plover is much declined but still a regular sight in autumn and winter on the mudflats opposite Coronation Green / Town Quay and between…

🔍 Overview A beloved and bold garden bird, the Robin is a year-round presence throughout Sussex in gardens, woodlands, and hedgerows. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Small (14 cm) Plumage:…

🔍 Overview A streaky, coastal pipit often found on rocky shores and harbour walls in winter. Scarce resident and scarce winter visitor; very rare away from the coast. 🪶 Key…

🔍 Overview The most social of UK crows, Rooks are widespread in rural Sussex and identifiable by their bare greyish face and shaggy thigh feathers. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size:…

🔍 Overview Scarce winter visitor and passage migrant. A highly variable medium-sized wader, best known for the male’s extravagant breeding plumage (rarely seen in Sussex). 🪶 Key Identification Features Long…

🔍 Overview A lively summer visitor, the Sand Martin nests in colonies along sandy riverbanks and quarries in Sussex. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Small (12–13 cm)Plumage: Brown above, white below…

🔍 Overview Hyperactive and snow-white in winter, Sanderlings run along Sussex beaches just ahead of the surf. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Small (18–20 cm)Plumage: Pale grey-white in winterDistinctive Marks: No…

🔍 Overview A smart, crested seabird with a harsh call, the Sandwich Tern is a common coastal summer visitor in Sussex. Localised breeding summer visitor and common passage migrant; very…

🔍 OverviewA lively and restless warbler often seen flitting through reedbeds and scrubby wetland edges in Sussex, especially in spring and summer. Its scratchy, varied song bursts from cover and…

🔍 Overview A slim, green-glossed seabird often confused with the Cormorant, but favouring rockier coastal habitats. Scarce winter visitor and passage migrant; rare away from coast. 🪶 Key Identification Features…

🔍 Overview A day-flying owl that winters on open ground in Sussex and occasionally breeds. Scarce winter visitor and passage migrant; Last bred 1922. 🪶 Key Identification Features Pale owl…

🔍 Overview A distinctive dabbling duck with a comically large bill, found widely in Sussex in winter and during passage. 🪶 Key Identification Features Large spatula-shaped bill Male: green head,…

🔍 OverviewA colourful finch often seen in Sussex during winter, especially in alder and conifer stands. Some breed locally, mostly in wooded uplands.  Fairly common breeder. 🪶 Key Identification Features…

🔍 Overview A classic voice of Sussex’s open fields and downs. Known for its beautiful, sustained song flight over farmland and heath. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium (18 cm)…

🔍 Overview A small and elegant grebe, mainly seen in winter along the Sussex coast and occasionally inland. Scarce winter visitor and passage migrant. 🪶 Key Identification Features Black and…

🔍 Overview A hardy, Arctic-breeding bunting that winters in small flocks on open coastal ground. Scarce passage migrant and winter visitor. 🪶 Key Identification Features White and chestnut plumage in…

🔍 Overview A sweet-voiced garden and woodland thrush with a stronghold in Sussex. Known for repeating phrases in its rich song. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium (23 cm) Plumage:…

🔍 Overview A swift, agile predator of small birds, the Sparrowhawk is a regular visitor to Sussex gardens, especially near bird feeders. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Small raptor (males…

🔍 OverviewA slim, subtly beautiful summer visitor that’s sadly declining in Sussex. Typically seen sallying out from open perches to catch insects mid-air. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Small (14–15…

🔍 Overview A sleek wader often found in Sussex on passage and in small numbers in winter. Scarce passage migrant and very scarce winter visitor. 🪶 Key Identification Features Longer-legged…

🔍 Overview Often overlooked, the Stock Dove is a quieter cousin of the Woodpigeon. Common across Sussex farmland and parkland. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium (30–33 cm) Plumage: Blue-grey…

🔍 Overview A rare visitor to Sussex, the Stone-curlew is more typical of chalk grassland and heath in eastern and southern England. Scarce breeding summer visitor and passage migrant. 🪶…

🔍 Overview The classic “twit-twoo” owl of British woodlands, Tawny Owls are widespread across Sussex but mostly heard rather than seen. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium (37–39 cm) Plumage:…

🔍 OverviewFairly common but local summer visitor. A subtle but charismatic spring migrant to Sussex heathlands. Known for its parachuting song flight over open areas. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size:…

🔍 Overview A scarce and declining farmland bird in Sussex, distinguished from the House Sparrow by its rich chestnut crown. Scarce passage migrant and winter visitor. 🪶 Key Identification Features…

🔍 OverviewA smart and common diving duck found year-round on Sussex lakes and reservoirs. Easily identified by its black-and-white plumage and diving behaviour. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium (42–48…

🔍 Overview A scarce winter visitor to Sussex, typically in cold spells and often among other grey geese. 🪶 Key Identification Features Dark brown plumage Orange legs and bill (with…

🔍 OverviewA sturdy, energetic wader found along Sussex shingle and rocky coasts in all seasons. Known for flipping stones to find prey. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Small wader (22–24…

🔍 Overview A symbol of summer, now sadly rare in Sussex due to habitat loss and hunting on migration routes. 🪶 Key Identification Features Mottled chestnut and black back Delicate…

🔍 Overview A bulky sea duck seen off the Sussex coast in winter, usually among flocks of Common Scoter. Scarce passage migrant and winter visitor along the coast; rare inland….

🔍 Overview A scarce winter visitor and passage migrant, usually found on wet meadows and saline lagoons. 🪶 Key Identification Features Greyish upperparts, clean pale underparts Pale supercilium and slender…

🔍 Overview A secretive marsh bird heard more often than seen, found in reedbeds and wetland edges. 🪶 Key Identification Features Grey face and underparts Brown back with black streaking…

🔍 Overview A striking winter visitor from Scandinavia, appearing in irruption years (every few winters) and favouring berry-laden trees. 🪶 Key Identification Features Pinkish-grey body Prominent crest, black mask Yellow…

🔍 OverviewA charming migrant seen in Sussex during spring and autumn passage. Prefers rough fields and heathland edges. Rare summer visitor; last bred in 1999. Very rare in winter. 🪶…

🔍 Overview Scarce winter visitor and passage migrant, arriving from Russia to spend the colder months in mild wetland areas. European race (A. a. albifrons) is red listed species of…

🔍 Overview A sweet-voiced migrant warbler, the Willow Warbler breeds in Sussex’s open scrub and young woodland during spring and summer. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Small (11 cm) Plumage:…

🔍 Overview A graceful and rare passage wader in Sussex, especially during spring and late summer migration. 🪶 Key Identification Features Slim, with a long neck and greenish legs Pale…

🔍 OverviewA mysterious and well-camouflaged woodland wader, mostly encountered at dusk or flushed from dense cover. Winters widely in Sussex. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium-large (33–38 cm) Plumage: Mottled…

🔍 Overview A rare but locally breeding songbird of open heath and forestry rides in Sussex. Scarce resident and very scarce passage migrant. 🪶 Key Identification Features Short tail, broad…

🔍 Overview The most widespread and abundant pigeon in Sussex and across the UK. Common in gardens, farmland, parks, and woodlands. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Large pigeon (38–44 cm)…

🔍 Overview Britain’s most widespread breeding bird, the Wren is tiny but loud, often found in tangled undergrowth across Sussex. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Tiny (9 cm) Plumage: Brown…

🔍 Overview A colourful migrant seen in Sussex mainly on spring and autumn passage, occasionally breeding in lowland wet meadows. 🪶 Key Identification Features Bright yellow underparts Olive-green upperparts Greyish…

🔍 Overview A large, robust gull mainly seen in Sussex in late summer and early autumn, with a few year-round. 🪶 Key Identification Features Grey mantle darker than Herring Gull…

🔍 Overview A striking farmland bunting with a memorable song, Yellowhammers remain locally common across Sussex countryside. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium (16 cm) Male: Bright yellow head, chestnut…