Find Birds by Location

🔍 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 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 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…

🔍 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 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 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 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 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 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,…

📍 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….

📍 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 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 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…

🔍 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…

📍 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 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…

📍 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 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 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…

📍 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 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….

📍 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…

📍 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 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 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 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:…

📍 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 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 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 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 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 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…

🔍 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 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…

📍 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 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 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 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…

🔍 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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…

🔍 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 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…