Birds of Selsey
What has actually been seen around Selsey: 268 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 268 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 195,207 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Black-headed Gull
- Busiest month
- August
- Elevation
- 7 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.5 h / 8 h
What the records say about Selsey
268 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Selsey (West Sussex) since 2010, across 195,207 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Black-headed Gull, Woodpigeon and European Herring Gull.
Water shapes this list. 55% of records near Selsey are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Black-headed Gull, European Herring Gull and Little Egret lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.
17 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel and Common Buzzard.
Records peak in August and are lowest in December — about 2.8 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.
East Wittering, 7 km to the north-west, has fewer species on record (216 against 268).
Daylight runs from 16 h 30 min at midsummer to 7 h 57 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:10 in mid-April and 4:49 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Selsey
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 5,025 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 4,620 |
| 3 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 4,071 |
| 4 | Little EgretEgretta garzetta | 4,017 |
| 5 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 3,962 |
| 6 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 3,818 |
| 7 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 3,800 |
| 8 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 3,795 |
| 9 | Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna | 3,597 |
| 10 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 3,538 |
| 11 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 3,383 |
| 12 | MagpiePica pica | 3,281 |
| 13 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 3,157 |
| 14 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 3,057 |
| 15 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 3,045 |
| 16 | Eurasian TealAnas crecca | 3,029 |
| 17 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 3,022 |
| 18 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 2,880 |
| 19 | Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus | 2,861 |
| 20 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 2,659 |
Records by month
What to put out in Selsey
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
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 Selsey?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Selsey are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Robin and Goldfinch, based on 195,207 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Selsey?
268 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Selsey?
Observation records peak in August and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:49.
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.