Birds of Friston
What has actually been seen around Friston: 269 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 269 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 75,812 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- European Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- August
- Elevation
- 113 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.5 h / 8 h
What the records say about Friston
269 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Friston (East Sussex) since 2010, across 75,812 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Carrion Crow and Jackdaw.
Friston is a garden-bird place: 62% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Magpie and Woodpigeon make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
22 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel, Common Buzzard 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 August and are lowest in June — 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.
Alfriston, 6 km to the north-west, has fewer species on record (246 against 269). Birds logged far more often around Friston than there include Northern Fulmar.
Daylight runs from 16 h 30 min at midsummer to 7 h 57 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:06 in mid-April and 4:45 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Friston
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 2,248 |
| 2 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 2,173 |
| 3 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 2,131 |
| 4 | MagpiePica pica | 2,084 |
| 5 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,971 |
| 6 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,869 |
| 7 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,718 |
| 8 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,669 |
| 9 | Little EgretEgretta garzetta | 1,665 |
| 10 | European StonechatSaxicola rubicola | 1,629 |
| 11 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 1,517 |
| 12 | Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensis | 1,478 |
| 13 | Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis | 1,439 |
| 14 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 1,431 |
| 15 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 1,369 |
| 16 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,361 |
| 17 | Common LinnetLinaria cannabina | 1,239 |
| 18 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 1,238 |
| 19 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 1,214 |
| 20 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 1,208 |
Records by month
What to put out in Friston
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
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 Friston?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Friston are Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Magpie, Woodpigeon and Robin, based on 75,812 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Friston?
269 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Friston?
Observation records peak in August and are lowest in June. Sunrise in late June is around 4:45.
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.