Birds of Winchelsea Beach
What has actually been seen around Winchelsea Beach: 254 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 254 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 116,581 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Black-headed Gull
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 2 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.5 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Winchelsea Beach
254 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Winchelsea Beach (East Sussex) since 2010, across 116,581 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Black-headed Gull, European Herring Gull and Great Cormorant.
Water shapes this list. 59% of records near Winchelsea Beach are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Black-headed Gull, European Herring Gull and Great Cormorant lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Starling is still the most logged garden bird.
18 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Eurasian Marsh-Harrier and Common Kestrel.
Records peak in May and are lowest in November — about 2.9 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 west, has fewer species on record (227 against 254). Birds logged far more often around Winchelsea Beach than there include Common Ringed Plover.
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 Winchelsea Beach
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 2,792 |
| 2 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 2,741 |
| 3 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 2,675 |
| 4 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 2,560 |
| 5 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 2,552 |
| 6 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 2,362 |
| 7 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 2,228 |
| 8 | Little EgretEgretta garzetta | 2,195 |
| 9 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 2,188 |
| 10 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 2,098 |
| 11 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 2,077 |
| 12 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 2,041 |
| 13 | Tufted DuckAythya fuligula | 2,034 |
| 14 | Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus | 1,980 |
| 15 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 1,924 |
| 16 | MagpiePica pica | 1,889 |
| 17 | Graylag GooseAnser anser | 1,878 |
| 18 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 1,859 |
| 19 | Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna | 1,787 |
| 20 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 1,676 |
Records by month
What to put out in Winchelsea Beach
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Starling
Suet · Mealworms
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
- Pied Wagtail
Mealworms
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
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 Winchelsea Beach?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Winchelsea Beach are Starling, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie and Jackdaw, based on 116,581 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Winchelsea Beach?
254 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Winchelsea Beach?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in November. 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.