Birds of Sussex
Here is a feed for recent bird sightings in Sussex, followed by a list of the 213 species that breed or winter in Sussex, or regularly pass through. Most of these could realistically be encountered during our tours at the right time of year, though some are of course harder to find than others!
An additional 193 species not listed here have been recorded as either scarce regular visitors or very rare vagrants, meaning you never quite know what you might find in this amazing county for birdwatching...
Clicking on underlined species will take you to journal posts in which the species is mentioned.
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Brent Goose Branta bernicla Oct-Apr
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Canada Goose Branta canadensis Year-round
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Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis Year-round
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Greylag Goose Anser anser Year-round
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White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons Oct-Mar
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Mute Swan Cygnus olor Year-round
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Bewick’s Swan Cygnus columbianus Oct-Mar
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Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca Year-round
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Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna Year-round
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Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata Year-round
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Garganey Spatula querquedula Mar-Sep
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Shoveler Spatula clypeata Year-round
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Gadwall Mareca strepera Year-round
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Eurasian Wigeon Mareca penelope Year-round (few in summer)
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Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Year-round
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Pintail Anas acuta Aug-Apr
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Eurasian Teal Anas crecca Year-round
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Common Pochard Aythya ferina Year-round
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Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula Year-round
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Common Eider Somateria mollissima Oct-Apr
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Velvet Scoter Melanitta fusca Oct-Apr
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Common Scoter Melanitta nigra Jul-May
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Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis Oct-May
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Goldeneye Bucephala clangula Oct-Apr
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Goosander Mergus merganser Oct-Apr
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Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator Oct-Apr
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Grey Partridge Perdix perdix Year-round
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Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus Year-round
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Quail Coturnix coturnix May-Aug
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Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa Year-round
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Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus May-Aug
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Common Swift Apus apus May-Aug
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Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus May-Aug
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Feral Pigeon Columba livia Year-round
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Stock Dove Columba oenas Year-round
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Woodpigeon Columba palumbus Year-round
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Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur May-Aug
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Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto Year-round
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Water Rail Rallus aquaticus Year-round
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Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Year-round
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Coot Fulica atra Year-round
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Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis Year-round
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Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena Oct-May
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Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus Year-round
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Slavonian Grebe Podiceps auritus Oct-Apr
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Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis Oct-Mar
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Stone-curlew Burhinus oedicnemus Mar-Oct
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Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus Year-round
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Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta Year-round
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Lapwing Vanellus vanellus Year-round
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Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria Aug-May
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Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola Year-round
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Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula Year-round
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Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius Mar-Sep
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Eurasian Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus Apr-Sep (one resident bird)
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Curlew Numenius arquata Year-round
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Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica Year-round
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Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa Year-round
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Turnstone Arenaria interpres Year-round
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Knot Calidris canutus Year-round
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Ruff Calidris pugnax Jul-May
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Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea Apr-May, Jul-Oct
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Sanderling Calidris alba Year-round
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Dunlin Calidris alpina Year-round
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Purple Sandpiper Calidris maritima Oct-Apr
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Little Stint Calidris minuta Apr-May, Jul-Oct
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Woodcock Scolopax rusticola Year-round
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Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus Sep-Apr
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Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago Jul-Apr
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Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos Year-round
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Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus Jun-Apr
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Common Redshank Tringa totanus Year-round
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Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola Apr-Sep
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Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus Year-round
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Greenshank Tringa nebularia Year-round
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Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla Year-round
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Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus Year-round
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Little Gull Hydrocoloeus minutus Aug-May
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Mediterranean Gull Ichthyaetus melanocephalus Year-round
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Common Gull Larus canus Year-round
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Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus Year-round
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Herring Gull Larus argentatus Year-round
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Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans Aug-Mar
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Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis Year-round
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Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus Year-round
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Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis Year-round
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Little Tern Sternula albifrons Apr-Sep
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Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii May-Jul
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Common Tern Sterna hirundo Apr-Oct
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Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea Apr-May, Aug-Oct
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Black Tern Chlidonias niger Apr-May, Aug-Sep
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Great Skua Stercorarius skua Year-round but Mar-May best
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Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus Apr-May
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Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus Apr-May, Aug-Nov
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Common Guillemot Uria aalge Sep-May
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Razorbill Alca torda Sep-May
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Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata Sep-May
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Black-throated Diver Gavia arctica Oct-May
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Great Northern Diver Gavia immer Oct-May
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Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis Year-round
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Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus Apr-May, Jul-Oct
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Balearic Shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus Jul-Sep
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White Stork Ciconia ciconia Year-round
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Gannet Morus bassanus Year-round
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Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo Year-round
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Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis Sep-Apr
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Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus Aug-Apr
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Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia Year-round
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Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris Year-round
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Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Year-round
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Grey Heron Ardea cinerea Year-round
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Great White Egret Ardea alba Year-round
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Little Egret Egretta garzetta Year-round
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Osprey Pandion haliaetus Mar-May, Aug-Sep
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Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus May-Sep
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Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus Year-round
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Goshawk Accipiter gentilis Year-round
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Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus Year-round
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Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus Sep-Apr
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Red Kite Milvus milvus Year-round
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White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla Year-round
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Common Buzzard Buteo buteo Year-round
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Barn Owl Tyto alba Year-round
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Little Owl Athene noctua Year-round
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Long-eared Owl Asio otus Year-round
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Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus Sep-Apr
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Tawny Owl Strix aluco Year-round
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Kingfisher Alcedo atthis Year-round
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Wryneck Jynx torquilla Aug-Sep
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Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dryobates minor Year-round
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Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major Year-round
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Green Woodpecker Picus viridis Year-round
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Kestrel Falco tinnunculus Year-round
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Merlin Falco columbarius Sep-Apr
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Hobby Falco subbuteo Apr-Oct
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Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus Year-round
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Ring-necked Parakeet Psittacula krameri Year-round
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Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor Oct-Mar
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Jay Garrulus glandarius Year-round
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Magpie Pica pica Year-round
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Jackdaw Coloeus monedula Year-round
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Rook Corvus frugilegus Year-round
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Carrion Crow Corvus corone Year-round
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Raven Corvus corax Year-round
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Coal Tit Periparus ater Year-round
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Marsh Tit Poecile palustris Year-round
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Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus Year-round
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Great Tit Parus major Year-round
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Bearded Tit Panurus biarmicus Year-round
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Woodlark Lullula arborea Year-round
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Skylark Alauda arvensis Year-round
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Sand Martin Riparia riparia Mar-Oct
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Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Mar-Oct
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House Martin Delichon urbicum Mar-Oct
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Cetti’s Warbler Cettia cetti Year-round
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Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus Year-round
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Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix Apr-Aug
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Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus Sep-Oct (sometimes winter)
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Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus Mar-Sep
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Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita Year-round
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Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus Apr-Sep
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Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus Apr-Oct
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Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia Apr-Sep
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Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla Year-round
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Garden Warbler Sylvia borin Apr-Sep
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Lesser Whitethroat Curruca curruca Apr-Sep
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Common Whitethroat Curruca communis Apr-Sep
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Dartford Warbler Curruca undata Year-round
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Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla Year-round
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Goldcrest Regulus regulus Year-round
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Wren Troglodytes troglodytes Year-round
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Nuthatch Sitta europaea Year-round
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Eurasian Treecreeper Certhia familiaris Year-round
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Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris Year-round
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Song Thrush Turdus philomelos Year-round
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Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus Year-round
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Redwing Turdus iliacus Oct-Apr
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Blackbird Turdus merula Year-round
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Fieldfare Turdus pilaris Oct-Apr
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Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus Mar-Apr, Oct-Nov
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Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata May-Sep
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Robin Erithacus rubecula Year-round
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Common Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos Apr-Aug
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Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca Apr, better Aug-Sep
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Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros Year-round
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Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus Apr-Sep
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Whinchat Saxicola rubetra Apr-May, Jul-Oct
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European Stonechat Saxicola rubicola Year-round
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Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe Mar-Oct
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Tree Sparrow Passer montanus Year-round
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House Sparrow Passer domesticus Year-round
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Dunnock Prunella modularis Year-round
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Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava Apr-Sep
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Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea Year-round
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Pied/White Wagtail Motacilla alba Year-round
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Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis Year-round
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Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis Apr-Sep
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Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta Oct-Apr
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Rock Pipit Anthus petrosus Year-round
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Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs Year-round
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Brambling Fringilla montifringilla Oct-Apr
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Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes Year-round
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Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula Year-round
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Greenfinch Chloris chloris Year-round
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Linnet Linaria cannabina Year-round
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Lesser Redpoll Acanthis cabaret Year-round
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Common Crossbill Loxia curvirostra Year-round
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Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis Year-round
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Siskin Spinus spinus Year-round
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Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis Oct-Feb
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Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra Year-round
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Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella Year-round
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Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus Year-round
Dark-bellied Brent Geese |
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Mandarin Duck |
Pochard |
Red-breasted Mergansers |
Grey Partridge |
Nightjar |
Little Grebe |
Great Crested Grebe |
Oystercatchers |
Lapwing |
Grey Plover |
Sanderling and Dunlin |
Purple Sandpiper |
Little Stint |
Greenshank |
Kittiwakes |
Little Gull |
Mediterranean Gull |
Little Tern |
Razorbill |
Great Northern Diver |
Fulmar |
Spoonbill |
Cattle Egret |
Honey Buzzard |
Sparrowhawk |
Goshawk |
Marsh Harrier |
Hen Harrier |
Red Kite |
White-tailed Eagle |
Barn Owl |
Little Owl |
Long-eared Owl |
Kingfisher |
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker |
Great Spotted Woodpecker |
Green Woodpecker |
Kestrel |
Peregrine Falcon |
Jay |
Coal Tit |
Marsh Tit |
Bearded Tit |
Woodlark |
Skylark |
Sand Martin |
Reed Warbler |
Dartford Warbler |
Firecrest |
Goldcrest |
Nuthatch |
Treecreeper |
Song Thrush |
Redwing |
Fieldfare |
Ring Ouzel |
Spotted Flycatcher |
Nightingale |
Pied Flycatcher |
Redstart |
Stonechat |
Yellow Wagtails |
Pied Wagtail |
Water Pipit |
Hawfinch |
Bullfinch |
Siskin |
Corn Bunting |
Reed Bunting |