Birds of Lewes
What has actually been seen around Lewes: 187 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 187 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 37,766 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 27 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.5 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Lewes
187 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Lewes (East Sussex) since 2010, across 37,766 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Jackdaw and Robin.
Lewes is a garden-bird place: 70% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Robin and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
17 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel.
Records peak in January and are lowest in September — about 4.2 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.
Ringmer, 4 km to the north-east, has fewer species on record (176 against 187).
Daylight runs from 16 h 32 min at midsummer to 7 h 56 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:07 in mid-April and 4:45 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Lewes
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,393 |
| 2 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,263 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,228 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,217 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,217 |
| 6 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 1,215 |
| 7 | MagpiePica pica | 1,196 |
| 8 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,138 |
| 9 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,126 |
| 10 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,004 |
| 11 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 932 |
| 12 | Great TitParus major | 911 |
| 13 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 882 |
| 14 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 815 |
| 15 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 770 |
| 16 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 679 |
| 17 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 661 |
| 18 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 641 |
| 19 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 623 |
| 20 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 603 |
Records by month
What to put out in Lewes
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 Lewes?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Lewes are Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Robin, Blackbird and Carrion Crow, based on 37,766 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Lewes?
187 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Lewes?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in September. 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.