Birds of Lancing
What has actually been seen around Lancing: 200 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 200 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 33,026 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- European Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 7 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.5 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Lancing
200 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Lancing (West Sussex) since 2010, across 33,026 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Woodpigeon and Carrion Crow.
Lancing is a garden-bird place: 63% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie and Starling make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
16 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 April and are lowest in February — about 1.7 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.
Shoreham-by-Sea, 3 km to the east, has a similar number of species on record (202 against 200).
Daylight runs from 16 h 31 min at midsummer to 7 h 57 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:08 in mid-April and 4:47 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Lancing
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 1,901 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,554 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,525 |
| 4 | MagpiePica pica | 1,277 |
| 5 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 1,182 |
| 6 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,120 |
| 7 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,043 |
| 8 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 1,038 |
| 9 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 1,035 |
| 10 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 990 |
| 11 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 937 |
| 12 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 818 |
| 13 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 786 |
| 14 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 785 |
| 15 | Great TitParus major | 741 |
| 16 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 704 |
| 17 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 689 |
| 18 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 610 |
| 19 | Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus | 591 |
| 20 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 571 |
Records by month
What to put out in Lancing
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Starling
Suet · Mealworms
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
- Goldfinch
Nyjer seed · Sunflower hearts
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 Lancing?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Lancing are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Starling and Robin, based on 33,026 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Lancing?
200 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Lancing?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 4:47.
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.