Birds of Worthing
What has actually been seen around Worthing: 216 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 216 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 61,884 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 Worthing
216 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Worthing (West Sussex) since 2010, across 61,884 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Woodpigeon and Carrion Crow.
Worthing is a garden-bird place: 67% 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 Robin 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 December — about 1.9 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.
Goring-by-Sea, 3 km to the west, has fewer species on record (203 against 216). Birds logged far more often around Worthing than there include Eurasian Coot and Mute Swan.
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 Worthing
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 3,344 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 2,929 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 2,779 |
| 4 | MagpiePica pica | 2,350 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 2,183 |
| 6 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 2,047 |
| 7 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,810 |
| 8 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 1,791 |
| 9 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 1,770 |
| 10 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,741 |
| 11 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,683 |
| 12 | Great TitParus major | 1,561 |
| 13 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,461 |
| 14 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 1,424 |
| 15 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 1,386 |
| 16 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 1,157 |
| 17 | Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus | 1,071 |
| 18 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 929 |
| 19 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 861 |
| 20 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 773 |
Records by month
What to put out in Worthing
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- Starling
Suet · Mealworms
- 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 Worthing?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Worthing are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Robin and Starling, based on 61,884 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Worthing?
216 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Worthing?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in December. 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.