Birds of Southwater
What has actually been seen around Southwater: 139 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 139 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 28,356 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 44 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.9 h
What the records say about Southwater
139 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Southwater (West Sussex) since 2010, across 28,356 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Jackdaw and Robin.
Southwater is a garden-bird place: 84% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Robin and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
14 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Red Kite. 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 August — 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.
Barns Green, 3 km to the west, has fewer species on record (123 against 139). Birds logged far more often around Southwater than there include White Stork.
Daylight runs from 16 h 33 min at midsummer to 7 h 55 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 Southwater
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,713 |
| 2 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,585 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,496 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,470 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,405 |
| 6 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,397 |
| 7 | MagpiePica pica | 1,099 |
| 8 | Great TitParus major | 1,024 |
| 9 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 959 |
| 10 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 946 |
| 11 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 858 |
| 12 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 830 |
| 13 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 764 |
| 14 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 706 |
| 15 | Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major | 687 |
| 16 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 599 |
| 17 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 528 |
| 18 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 500 |
| 19 | House MartinDelichon urbicum | 497 |
| 20 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 489 |
Records by month
What to put out in Southwater
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 Southwater?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Southwater are Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Robin, Blackbird and Blue Tit, based on 28,356 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Southwater?
139 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Southwater?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in August. 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.