Birds of Fairlight
What has actually been seen around Fairlight: 229 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 229 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 48,752 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- European Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- September
- Elevation
- 64 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.5 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Fairlight
229 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Fairlight (East Sussex) since 2010, across 48,752 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Woodpigeon and Jackdaw.
Water shapes this list. 47% of records near Fairlight are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — European Herring Gull, Great Cormorant and Black-headed Gull lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.
17 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Eurasian Marsh-Harrier, Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel.
Records peak in September and are lowest in February — about 2.2 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.
Icklesham, 4 km to the north, has a similar number of species on record (227 against 229).
Daylight runs from 16 h 32 min at midsummer to 7 h 56 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:04 in mid-April and 4:42 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Fairlight
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 1,399 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,187 |
| 3 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,123 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,093 |
| 5 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 1,077 |
| 6 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 981 |
| 7 | MagpiePica pica | 899 |
| 8 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 893 |
| 9 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 850 |
| 10 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 843 |
| 11 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 832 |
| 12 | Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus | 830 |
| 13 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 807 |
| 14 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 804 |
| 15 | Graylag GooseAnser anser | 779 |
| 16 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 772 |
| 17 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 740 |
| 18 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 725 |
| 19 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 721 |
| 20 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 687 |
Records by month
What to put out in Fairlight
Seasonal bird notes for East Sussex
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 Fairlight?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Fairlight are Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Magpie and Blackbird, based on 48,752 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Fairlight?
229 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Fairlight?
Observation records peak in September and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 4:42.
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.