Birds of Haywards Heath
What has actually been seen around Haywards Heath: 103 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 103 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 6,532 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 78 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.5 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Haywards Heath
103 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Haywards Heath (West Sussex) since 2010, across 6,532 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Robin and Carrion Crow.
Haywards Heath is a garden-bird place: 78% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Robin, Carrion Crow and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Red Kite 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 May and are lowest in November — about 6.1 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.
Cuckfield, 3 km to the north-west, has more species on record (118 against 103).
Daylight runs from 16 h 33 min at midsummer to 7 h 55 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 Haywards Heath
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 450 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 392 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 367 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 364 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 344 |
| 6 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 331 |
| 7 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 329 |
| 8 | SwiftApus apus | 263 |
| 9 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 251 |
| 10 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 237 |
| 11 | Great TitParus major | 213 |
| 12 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 195 |
| 13 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 175 |
| 14 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 167 |
| 15 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 138 |
| 16 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 136 |
| 17 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 115 |
| 18 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 109 |
| 19 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 109 |
| 20 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 109 |
Records by month
What to put out in Haywards Heath
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
- Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
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 Haywards Heath?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Haywards Heath are Woodpigeon, Robin, Carrion Crow, Blackbird and Magpie, based on 6,532 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Haywards Heath?
103 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Haywards Heath?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in November. 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.