Birds of Portslade
What has actually been seen around Portslade: 173 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 173 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 16,645 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- European Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 40 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.5 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Portslade
173 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Portslade (Brighton and Hove) since 2010, across 16,645 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Carrion Crow and Woodpigeon.
Portslade is a garden-bird place: 67% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Magpie and House Sparrow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
15 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Eurasian Sparrowhawk. A hawk that hunts feeder birds is among them, so set feeders 2–3 metres from shrubs: close enough for cover, far enough that a cat can't ambush from it.
Records peak in January and are lowest in October — about 2.6 times as many in the busiest month. Part of that is birds (migrants and winter visitors), part is people: more birders are out in good weather, so treat the curve as activity, not a census.
Shoreham-by-Sea, 4 km to the west, has more species on record (202 against 173).
Daylight runs from 16 h 31 min at midsummer to 7 h 56 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:08 in mid-April and 4:46 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Portslade
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 1,093 |
| 2 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 856 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 765 |
| 4 | MagpiePica pica | 727 |
| 5 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 698 |
| 6 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 662 |
| 7 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 629 |
| 8 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 590 |
| 9 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 543 |
| 10 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 477 |
| 11 | SwiftApus apus | 457 |
| 12 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 413 |
| 13 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 407 |
| 14 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 346 |
| 15 | Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus | 344 |
| 16 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 332 |
| 17 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 324 |
| 18 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 314 |
| 19 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 305 |
| 20 | Great TitParus major | 302 |
Records by month
What to put out in Portslade
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
- Starling
Suet · Mealworms
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
Seasonal bird notes for Brighton and Hove
What's arriving, what to feed and when to clean feeders, written for UK gardens. One email a month at most.
Nearby places
Frequently asked
What birds visit gardens in Portslade?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Portslade are Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Magpie, House Sparrow and Starling, based on 16,645 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Portslade?
173 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Portslade?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in October. Sunrise in late June is around 4:46.
Sources
- GBIF occurrence search (birds, class Aves, 2010 onward)
- GeoNames gazetteer (place, population, elevation)
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.