Birds to See in East Sussex in December
138 species matching this filter.
East Sussex offers rewarding birdwatching throughout December, with 138 species recorded across its diverse habitats, from the chalk cliffs of Beachy Head to the wetlands of Pevensey Levels and the reedbeds of Rye Harbour. Winter visitors such as Fieldfare and Common Merganser join resident favourites like Barn Owl, Great Tit, and Magpie, making the county a superb destination for winter birding. The sheltered estuaries and coastal lagoons attract waders and wildfowl including Common Shelduck and Common Sandpiper, while farmland edges may reveal flocks of Linnet and Starling performing spectacular murmurations at dusk.
Resident
(116)
Arctic Loon
Gavia arcticaLC
A rare visitor to inshore coastal waters, mainly in winter and spring. Occasionally seen during seawatches from Beachy Head.
Dec–May
Avocet
Recurvirostra avosettaLC
An elegant wader found year-round at coastal lagoons and marshes. Numbers have increased in recent decades, with Rye Harbour a key breeding and wintering site.
Year-round
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponicaNT
A rare but regular visitor to coastal mudflats and estuaries, with passage peaks in spring and autumn. Favours the Cuckmere and Rye areas.
Mar–Jan
Barn Owl
Tyto albaLC
A rare resident of farmland and marshes, hunting silently at dusk over the Pevensey Levels and downland field margins.
Nov–Sep
Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsisLC
A rare resident, with feral birds present on coastal marshes and reservoirs. Numbers increase in autumn and winter with possible wild arrivals.
Sep–May
Bearded Tit
Panurus biarmicusLC
A rare but prized resident of extensive reedbeds, with sites like Rye Harbour offering the best chances. Listen for its distinctive pinging call.
Year-round
Black-necked Grebe
Podiceps nigricollisLC
A rare but near year-round presence on sheltered coastal waters and reservoirs. Numbers are small, with a brief gap in midsummer.
Jul–May
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
A rare but increasingly regular wader at coastal pools and grazing marshes. Rye Harbour and the Pevensey Levels offer the best chances of sightings.
Mar–Jan
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
Abundant in gardens, woodlands and hedgerows throughout the year. One of the most familiar birds across East Sussex.
Year-round
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
Resident all year, increasingly visiting garden feeders in winter. A rich songster in spring woodlands and scrubby hedgerows.
Year-round
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleusLC
A familiar garden resident found year-round. Readily takes to nest boxes and is one of the most frequent visitors to bird feeders across the county.
Year-round
Brent Goose
Branta berniclaLC
A winter visitor to coastal harbours and grazing marshes, absent during summer. Rye Harbour and the Cuckmere are favoured feeding areas.
Sep–May
Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC
An uncommon but year-round resident of thick hedgerows and woodland. Shy and retiring, more often heard giving its soft piping call.
Year-round
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
A common year-round resident, frequently seen soaring over farmland, downland and woodland edges throughout the county.
Year-round
Canada Goose
Branta canadensisLC
Widespread and common on lakes, rivers and parkland year-round. Readily seen at Arlington Reservoir and urban ponds across the county.
Year-round
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
A common and adaptable year-round resident, abundant in towns, farmland and along the coast throughout East Sussex.
Year-round
Cetti's Warbler
Cettia cettiLC
An uncommon but increasing resident of reedbeds and dense waterside scrub. More often heard than seen, with its explosive burst of song.
Year-round
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
A common and widespread resident found in woodlands, hedgerows, parks, and gardens. One of the most frequently encountered birds in the county.
Year-round
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
A common year-round warbler whose repetitive two-note song echoes through woodlands, parks and hedgerows across the county.
Year-round
Coal Tit
Periparus aterLC
An uncommon resident favouring coniferous and mixed woodland. Often visits garden feeders in winter, particularly near the wooded Weald.
Year-round
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
Present year-round but uncommon, frequenting playing fields, reservoirs and the coast. Numbers increase in winter with Continental arrivals.
Year-round
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthisLC
An uncommon year-round resident along rivers, streams, and ditches. Often glimpsed as a flash of electric blue darting low over the water.
Year-round
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
A common resident across farmland, woodland edges and downland. Widely released for shooting, it is one of the most frequently encountered birds in rural areas.
Year-round
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
An uncommon but increasing year-round resident, now regularly seen soaring over the South Downs and coastal cliffs.
Year-round
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
A rare resident, scarce and easily overlooked among birch and alder woodland. Most likely encountered in winter flocks, sometimes with siskins.
Sep–Jul
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucosLC
An uncommon wader found along rivers, reservoirs, and coastal pools. Most conspicuous on passage, bobbing along stony margins with a distinctive teetering gait.
Year-round
Common Scoter
Melanitta nigraLC
An uncommon but year-round presence offshore, often seen as dark lines of birds flying low over the sea. Passage peaks in spring and autumn.
Year-round
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
An uncommon resident of estuaries and coastal mudflats, notably at Cuckmere Haven and the Ouse estuary. Breeds locally in rabbit burrows.
Year-round
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
An uncommon resident of wet grasslands and marshes, most easily seen in winter when numbers are boosted by continental migrants.
Jul–May
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
A common resident famous for its spectacular winter murmurations over Brighton and Eastbourne piers. Numbers swell with Continental arrivals in autumn.
Year-round
Coot
Fulica atraLC
Common on lakes, reservoirs and flooded gravel pits year-round. Often gathers in large flocks at Arlington Reservoir in winter.
Year-round
Corn Bunting
Emberiza calandraLC
A rare and declining resident of open arable farmland. Small populations persist on the South Downs, where its rattling song can still be heard.
Year-round
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
An uncommon resident found on coastal marshes and the Pevensey Levels year-round. Numbers have declined as a breeding bird in the region.
Year-round
Dartford Warbler
Curruca undataNT
A rare resident of gorse-covered heathland, vulnerable to harsh winters. Ashdown Forest is a key stronghold in the county.
Year-round
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
Found on mudflats and coastal lagoons year-round, with numbers boosted in winter. Pevensey Levels and Rye Harbour are key sites.
Year-round
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
A common and unobtrusive resident of hedgerows and garden shrubbery. Its thin, high-pitched song is heard year-round across the county.
Year-round
Egyptian Goose
Alopochen aegyptiacaLC
An established but uncommon resident found year-round on lakes, reservoirs and parkland. This naturalised species is slowly spreading across the county.
Year-round
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
A common resident in towns, villages and gardens throughout the county. Its monotonous three-note call is a familiar sound year-round.
Year-round
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandariusLC
An uncommon but widespread resident of broadleaved woodland and mature gardens. Its harsh screeching call often betrays its presence.
Year-round
Eurasian Nuthatch
Sitta europaeaLC
Found year-round in mature deciduous woodland, often heard giving its loud ringing call in the Weald and downland copses.
Year-round
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
A striking wader found on shingle beaches and coastal marshes year-round. Breeds at Rye Harbour and along the Pevensey shore.
Year-round
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
An uncommon resident favouring alder and birch woodland. Numbers increase in winter when continental birds arrive, often visiting garden feeders.
Year-round
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
A common resident of open farmland and the South Downs, though declining nationally. Its continuous hovering song flight is a classic downland sound.
Year-round
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
An uncommon but regular visitor to coastal marshes and flooded fields, with numbers peaking in winter. Whistling flocks gather on the Pevensey Levels and Cuckmere.
Jul–May
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
One of the county's most abundant residents, its explosive song rings from hedgerows, gardens and undergrowth all year.
Year-round
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
A common and colourful resident, frequently seen in flocks feeding on teasel and thistle heads across farmland, gardens, and downland margins.
Year-round
European Green Woodpecker
Picus viridisLC
Resident in open woodland and downland turf, where its loud laughing call carries far. Feeds mainly on ground-dwelling ants.
Year-round
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
A familiar and noisy presence in coastal towns like Brighton and Hastings. Breeds on rooftops and cliffs, scavenging boldly year-round.
Year-round
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
One of the most familiar year-round residents, found in gardens, hedgerows and woodland. Sings throughout winter across the county.
Year-round
Firecrest
Regulus ignicapillaLC
An uncommon year-round resident, breeding in coniferous and mixed woodland. Numbers bolstered in autumn by Continental migrants along the coast.
Year-round
Fulmar
Fulmarus glacialisLC
Breeds on chalk cliffs at Beachy Head and Seaford Head. Present most of the year, gliding stiffly on ocean updrafts.
Nov–Sep
Gadwall
Mareca streperaLC
An uncommon year-round resident on reservoirs and gravel pits. Often overlooked among Mallards but breeds locally at sites like Arlington Reservoir.
Year-round
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
Britain's smallest bird, common in coniferous and mixed woodland year-round. Numbers swell in autumn with continental migrants.
Year-round
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
A common and imposing resident of the coast, often seen on beaches, harbour walls, and at gull roosts throughout the year.
Year-round
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
A common year-round resident found along the coast, rivers, and at inland reservoirs. Often seen perched with wings outstretched.
Year-round
Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatusLC
A common resident of larger lakes and reservoirs, also gathering offshore in winter. Elegant courtship displays begin in early spring.
Year-round
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos majorLC
A common resident of woodlands, parks, and gardens throughout the county. Its loud drumming on trees is a familiar sound in spring.
Year-round
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
A common and familiar garden resident found year-round. Its bold "teacher-teacher" song is one of the earliest heard in spring.
Year-round
Great White Egret
Ardea albaLC
A rare but increasingly recorded resident, seen year-round at marshes and wetlands. Part of a wider UK range expansion.
Year-round
Green Sandpiper
Tringa ochropusLC
A rare but near year-round visitor to ditches, streams and watercress beds. Often detected by its sharp call as it flies up from cover.
Jun–Apr
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
A common year-round resident of gardens, hedgerows, and woodland edges. Numbers have declined due to trichomonosis but it remains widespread.
Year-round
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
A familiar year-round resident of rivers, lakes and marshes, often seen standing motionless at the Pevensey Levels and Cuckmere.
Year-round
Grey Plover
Pluvialis squatarolaLC
An uncommon but regular visitor to coastal mudflats and estuaries, present most of the year. Silver-grey plumage and black 'armpits' aid identification.
Aug–Jun
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
An uncommon resident found along streams and rivers in the Weald. More widespread in winter when birds move to lowland watercourses and coast.
Year-round
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
Common on lakes, marshes and farmland throughout the county. Feral populations are well established and breed readily at wetland sites.
Year-round
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
A common and familiar resident of towns and villages throughout the county. Nests in buildings and gathers in noisy colonies year-round.
Year-round
Jackdaw
Corvus monedulaLC
A common year-round resident, often seen in noisy flocks around church towers, farmland and the chalk cliffs of the South Downs.
Year-round
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
A common year-round resident, often seen hovering over downland, road verges and farmland across the county.
Year-round
Kittiwake
Rissa tridactylaVU
Scarce year-round, most often seen offshore or at coastal roosts. Once bred on nearby cliffs but has declined dramatically across the UK.
Year-round
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
A common year-round resident seen along the coast, at landfill sites, and increasingly inland. Numbers peak in summer and autumn.
Year-round
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
A common resident of gorse-covered downland and farmland edges. Often forms large flocks on stubble fields and coastal scrub in winter.
Year-round
Little Egret
Egretta garzettaLC
Now a common resident, thriving along estuaries, marshes, and coastal pools. A colonisation success story since the 1990s.
Year-round
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
An uncommon but widespread resident of ponds, lakes, and ditches. Often secretive in summer but more visible in winter.
Year-round
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatusLC
A common and endearing resident, often seen in lively family flocks bouncing through hedgerows and woodland edges throughout the year.
Year-round
Magpie
Pica picaLC
A common and conspicuous resident found year-round in gardens, parks, hedgerows and farmland across the county.
Year-round
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
A common and familiar resident found year-round on rivers, ponds, lakes, and marshes throughout the county. Readily seen in parks and gardens near water.
Year-round
Mandarin Duck
Aix galericulataLC
A rare but established resident on wooded lakes and rivers, favouring mature trees with nesting holes. Most easily seen in late winter displays.
Year-round
Marsh Tit
Poecile palustrisLC
An uncommon resident of mature deciduous woodland, particularly in the Weald. A declining species easily confused with the Willow Tit.
Year-round
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
A common resident of downland grassland, heathland, and coastal margins. Numbers swell in autumn with passage birds moving through the county.
Year-round
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorusLC
An uncommon resident of parkland and open woodland, often singing boldly from treetops even in midwinter. Numbers are declining.
Year-round
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
A common and widespread resident of ponds, streams, and ditches across the county. Often seen picking its way along muddy margins, flicking its white tail.
Year-round
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
An elegant year-round resident of rivers, lakes and coastal lagoons. Breeds on the Cuckmere, Ouse and at Rye Harbour.
Year-round
Northern Gannet
Morus bassanusLC
Seen offshore year-round, often plunge-diving spectacularly. Passage numbers peak in autumn off Beachy Head and other watchpoints.
Year-round
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
An uncommon year-round resident of farmland and marshes, though declining as a breeder. Winter flocks form on the Pevensey Levels and coastal fields.
Year-round
Northern Pintail
Anas acutaLC
An elegant dabbling duck found on coastal marshes and flooded fields, mainly from autumn to spring. Scarce but regular at Rye Harbour.
Sep–May
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
Uncommon but present year-round on freshwater marshes and flooded fields. Most reliably seen at Rye Harbour and Pevensey Levels.
Year-round
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinusLC
An uncommon but year-round resident, nesting on coastal cliffs and tall buildings. Often seen hunting over the Downs and marshes.
Year-round
Pochard
Aythya ferinaVU
An uncommon diving duck on lakes and reservoirs year-round. Nationally declining, but Arlington Reservoir remains a reliable local site.
Year-round
Razorbill
Alca tordaLC
Scarce but regular offshore in winter and spring, often seen from seawatching points. Occasionally washes up on beaches after storms.
Oct–May
Red Crossbill
Loxia curvirostraLC
A rare resident of conifer plantations, with numbers varying greatly between years. Ashdown Forest is a key site for this unpredictable finch.
Year-round
Red Kite
Milvus milvusLC
A rare but increasingly seen resident, soaring over the Downs and Weald as the population slowly spreads southward.
Year-round
Red Knot
Calidris canutusNT
A rare visitor to mudflats and coastal lagoons, present mainly in winter and on passage. Small flocks occasionally visit Rye Harbour.
Aug–May
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serratorLC
A scarce winter visitor to sheltered coastal waters and estuaries. Small numbers frequent the Rye Bay area from late autumn to spring.
Nov–May
Red-legged Partridge
Alectoris rufaNT
An introduced resident found year-round on farmland and downland edges, though rarely encountered. Prefers arable fields with hedgerow cover.
Year-round
Red-throated Loon
Gavia stellataLC
An uncommon winter visitor seen offshore from autumn to spring, often flying low over the sea past coastal headlands.
Oct–May
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
An uncommon resident of coastal marshes and estuaries, breeding on grazing levels. Its loud piping call is characteristic of the Pevensey Levels.
Year-round
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
An uncommon resident of reedbeds and wetland margins, found year-round at sites like the Pevensey Levels and Rye Harbour.
Year-round
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
Breeds on shingle beaches and frequents coastal pools year-round. Rye Harbour is a key nesting site, with numbers rising on passage.
Year-round
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Abundant in towns and cities year-round as feral pigeons. True wild-type birds may still occur on coastal cliffs near Beachy Head.
Year-round
Rock Pipit
Anthus petrosusLC
An uncommon resident of rocky shorelines and chalk cliffs, often seen foraging along the base of the Seven Sisters and Beachy Head throughout the year.
Year-round
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
A common resident forming noisy rookeries in tall trees across farmland and villages. Large flocks forage on the fields of the Low Weald.
Year-round
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpresLC
Forages along rocky shorelines and groynes, flipping stones for invertebrates. Present year-round but uncommon, favouring the coast at sites like Rye Harbour.
Year-round
Ruff
Philomachus pugnaxLC
A rare wader found at coastal pools and marshes, most often seen on autumn passage. Breeding males sport extraordinary ruffs, but most sightings here involve plainer birds.
Jul–Apr
Sanderling
Calidris albaLC
Scarce along East Sussex's shingle and sandy shores, mainly seen in winter and on passage. Runs energetically at the tide edge, often in small flocks.
Aug–May
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
A common resident heard singing from gardens and woodland throughout the year. Often seen smashing snails on paths and stones across the county.
Year-round
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
An uncommon but widespread resident, hunting small birds through woodland and gardens with dashing low-level flight year-round.
Year-round
Stock Dove
Columba oenasLC
A common resident of farmland and parkland, nesting in tree holes and old buildings. Often seen in small flocks over the South Downs.
Year-round
Stonechat
Saxicola torquatusLC
A common resident of coastal scrub, heathland, and gorse. Readily seen perching prominently at sites like Beachy Head and the Cuckmere valley.
Year-round
Tawny Owl
Strix alucoLC
A rare but resident owl of mature deciduous woodland, heard more often than seen. Declining in parts of south-east England.
Year-round
Treecreeper
Certhia familiarisLC
An uncommon resident of mature woodland, spiralling up tree trunks in search of insects. Found throughout the Wealden woods year-round.
Year-round
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
Found year-round on lakes and reservoirs, diving for invertebrates. Regularly seen at Arlington Reservoir and Weir Wood.
Year-round
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticusLC
A secretive resident of reedbeds and marshy ditches, more often heard than seen. Squealing calls betray its presence at sites like Filsham and the Pannel Valley.
Aug–May
Western Marsh-harrier
Circus aeruginosusLC
An uncommon year-round resident of extensive reedbeds and marshes, regularly seen quartering the Pevensey Levels and Lewes Brooks.
Year-round
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
A common and familiar resident, abundant in gardens, farmland, and woodland throughout East Sussex year-round.
Year-round
Yellow-legged Gull
Larus michahellisLC
A rare but increasingly regular resident, found among large gull gatherings at roosts and along the coast almost year-round.
Jun–Apr
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinellaLC
An uncommon but year-round resident of hedgerow-rich farmland on the Downs. Its jangling song is a characteristic sound of rural East Sussex.
Year-round
Non-breeding
(15)
Black Redstart
Phoenicurus ochrurosLC
A rare winter visitor favouring coastal cliffs and buildings around Brighton and Beachy Head from October to early spring.
Oct–Apr
Common Loon
Gavia immerLC
A rare winter visitor to coastal waters, occasionally seen offshore or in sheltered bays between November and February.
Nov–Feb
Common Merganser
Mergus merganserLC
A rare non-breeding visitor to reservoirs and rivers in winter. Small numbers appear between November and February, favouring larger freshwater bodies.
Nov–Feb
Eurasian Spoonbill
Platalea leucorodiaLC
A rare but increasingly regular visitor to coastal marshes and the Pevensey Levels, most often seen outside the breeding season sweeping its distinctive bill through shallow water.
Sep–May
Fieldfare
Turdus pilarisLC
An uncommon winter visitor arriving from Scandinavia in October. Roving flocks feed on berries in hedgerows and open farmland across the Downs.
Oct–Mar
Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricariaLC
An uncommon non-breeding visitor to ploughed fields and coastal marshes. Flocks gather on the Pevensey Levels and downland from autumn through early spring.
Aug–Apr
Goldeneye
Bucephala clangulaLC
A scarce winter visitor to reservoirs and sheltered coastal waters from November to March. Arlington Reservoir offers occasional sightings.
Nov–Mar
Greater White-fronted Goose
Anser albifronsLC
A rare winter visitor to the Pevensey Levels and grazing marshes, sometimes mixing with other goose flocks from November through to March.
Nov–Mar
Hen Harrier
Circus cyaneusLC
A rare winter visitor to open marshes and farmland, occasionally seen quartering the Pevensey Levels in deep winter.
Dec–Feb
Merlin
Falco columbariusLC
A rare winter visitor, occasionally seen dashing low over coastal marshes and downland. Most likely from autumn through to early spring.
Sep–Mar
Purple Sandpiper
Calidris maritimaLC
A rare winter visitor favouring rocky groynes and harbour walls along the coast. Most reliably seen from November to March.
Nov–Mar
Redwing
Turdus iliacusNT
A common winter visitor from Scandinavia, foraging in hedgerows and fields across the county. Often found alongside Fieldfares in mixed flocks.
Oct–Apr
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeusLC
A rare winter visitor to open marshes and coastal grasslands, hunting low over the Pevensey Levels and similar sites from October to April.
Oct–Apr
Spotted Redshank
Tringa erythropusLC
A rare non-breeding visitor to sheltered estuaries and coastal pools. Most often seen at Rye Harbour or Pagham-area marshes.
Aug–Apr
Water Pipit
Anthus spinolettaLC
A rare winter visitor from November to March, favouring watercress beds and marshy areas. The Cuckmere valley is a reliable site.
Nov–Mar
Passage
(7)
Black Guillemot
Cepphus grylleLC
A very rare visitor to inshore waters, occasionally recorded in winter. Well south of its usual breeding range in northern Britain.
Dec
Bohemian Waxwing
Bombycilla garrulusLC
A rare winter visitor, appearing in irruption years during December and January. Flocks descend on berry-laden trees in towns and gardens.
Dec–Jan
Eider
Somateria mollissimaNT
A rare passage visitor, occasionally seen offshore or in sheltered bays during spring and late autumn. Small numbers may linger through winter.
Dec–Apr
Hooded Crow
Corvus cornixLC
A rare passage visitor, occasionally recorded in February and December. Most sightings likely involve Continental birds drifting across the Channel.
Dec–Feb
Long-tailed Duck
Clangula hyemalisVU
A rare winter visitor, occasionally spotted offshore or in sheltered bays during December. One of the county's scarcest sea ducks.
Dec
Smew
Mergellus albellusLC
A rare and prized winter visitor, most likely in cold snaps during January and December. Favours reservoirs and sheltered freshwater lakes.
Dec–Jan
Velvet Scoter
Melanitta fuscaVU
A rare passage visitor, occasionally spotted offshore in April and December. Best looked for during seawatches from Beachy Head or Birling Gap.
Dec–Apr