Birds of Shoreham-by-Sea
What has actually been seen around Shoreham-by-Sea: 202 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 202 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 30,315 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- European Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 7 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.5 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Shoreham-by-Sea
202 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Shoreham-by-Sea (West Sussex) since 2010, across 30,315 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Carrion Crow and Woodpigeon.
The records split between garden birds (58%) and waterbirds (37%), so a feeder in Shoreham-by-Sea sees the familiar Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon and Magpie, while European Herring Gull and others turn up on nearby water.
17 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 January and are lowest in July — about 1.6 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.
Lancing, 3 km to the west, has a similar number of species on record (200 against 202).
Daylight runs from 16 h 31 min at midsummer to 7 h 56 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:08 in mid-April and 4:46 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Shoreham-by-Sea
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 1,500 |
| 2 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,276 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,140 |
| 4 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 1,076 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 1,049 |
| 6 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 940 |
| 7 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 889 |
| 8 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 848 |
| 9 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 843 |
| 10 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 813 |
| 11 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 806 |
| 12 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 784 |
| 13 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 749 |
| 14 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 735 |
| 15 | Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus | 696 |
| 16 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 635 |
| 17 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 549 |
| 18 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 547 |
| 19 | Little EgretEgretta garzetta | 518 |
| 20 | Great TitParus major | 514 |
Records by month
What to put out in Shoreham-by-Sea
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Starling
Suet · Mealworms
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- 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 Shoreham-by-Sea?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Shoreham-by-Sea are Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Starling and Robin, based on 30,315 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Shoreham-by-Sea?
202 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Shoreham-by-Sea?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in July. Sunrise in late June is around 4:46.
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.