🔍 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 and slimmer than Redshank Straight, slightly upturned bill Grey in winter; black with white spots in breeding plumage 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Most regular at...
🔍 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) Plumage: Brown and streaked Crest: Small, often raised Tail: Short with white edges Flight: Strong vertical song flights 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Breeds in arable...
🔍 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 white in winter Bright red eye Small bill and peaked crown 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Scarce but regular offshore from Goring Gap, Brighton Marina, Lancing ...
🔍 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 winter Flashy white wings in flight Male is strikingly white and black in breeding plumage (not seen here) 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Seen from October...
🔍 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: Brown above, creamy below with dark spots Bill: Yellowish, short Behaviour: Often seen cracking snail shells 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Common in gardens, parks, woodlands,...
🔍 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, white breast, chestnut flanks Feeds by sweeping bill side-to-side 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Found in Pulborough Brooks, Goring Gap, Brighton Marina, and Brooklands, mainly September–May....
🔍 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 Size: Small (11–12 cm) Plumage: Greenish-yellow with black markings Distinctive Marks: Males have black crown and bib Bill: Short and conical Tail: Forked Flight: Bouncy...
🔍 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 hind toe, “clockwork toy” runningBill: Short and straightTail: ShortFlight: Fast and tight flocks 🗺️ Habitat & Distribution Common winter wader at Goring Gap, Lancing Beaches,...
🔍 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 scarce winter visitor. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Medium tern (37–43 cm)Plumage: Pale grey and white with black capDistinctive Marks: Yellow-tipped black billBill: Long and slenderTail:...
🔍 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 is a sure sign of its presence. 🪶 Key Identification Features Size: Small (12–13 cm) Plumage: Brown-streaked back, pale underparts Distinctive Marks: Bold white supercilium...
