Birds of Chichester
What has actually been seen around Chichester: 188 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 188 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 24,242 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 20 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.5 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Chichester
188 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Chichester (West Sussex) since 2010, across 24,242 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, European Herring Gull and Carrion Crow.
Water shapes this list. 47% of records near Chichester are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — European Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull and Mallard lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.
13 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel.
Records peak in April and are lowest in August — about 3.7 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.
Tangmere, 5 km to the east, has fewer species on record (158 against 188). Birds logged far more often around Chichester than there include Eurasian Curlew, Common Redshank, Eurasian Oystercatcher and Black-tailed Godwit.
Daylight runs from 16 h 31 min at midsummer to 7 h 56 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:10 in mid-April and 4:48 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Chichester
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,428 |
| 2 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 1,314 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,232 |
| 4 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 1,156 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 817 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 665 |
| 7 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 647 |
| 8 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 575 |
| 9 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 575 |
| 10 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 538 |
| 11 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 511 |
| 12 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 470 |
| 13 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 453 |
| 14 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 446 |
| 15 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 443 |
| 16 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 434 |
| 17 | Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus | 396 |
| 18 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 334 |
| 19 | Great TitParus major | 331 |
| 20 | Tufted DuckAythya fuligula | 325 |
Records by month
What to put out in Chichester
Seasonal bird notes for West 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 Chichester?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Chichester are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Blackbird and Jackdaw, based on 24,242 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Chichester?
188 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Chichester?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in August. Sunrise in late June is around 4:48.
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.