Meet the birds

The Essex coastline is extremely diverse featuring a variety of habitats and environments, which include mud-flat, saltmarsh, grazing marsh, sand and shingle spits, shell banks and offshore islands, disused gravel pits and reedbeds. These habitats provide feeding and roosting opportunities for the large numbers of coastal birds. Find out more about the birds that relay on the Essex Coast here.

Information in this section on the bird species is taken from the RSPB and Wildlife Trust websites.

Bird of the month for October:

Brent Geese – An Amber List Species, the Brent Goose is a small, dark goose – of similar size to a Mallard. It has a black head and neck and grey-brown back, with either a pale or dark belly, depending on the sub-species.

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Ducks

Some of the ducks seen during the winter months around the Essex coast will have travelled thousands of miles to call our shore their home.

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Geese

A range of geese can be spotted resting and feeding on the Essex coast over the winter in addition to the Geese you may have already spotted on your local park pond.

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Gulls

Gulls are synonymous with the seaside and coast. While gulls can be easily identifiable, the Essex coast boasts a number of gull species each with their own unique differences.

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Other Coastal Birds

The Essex coastline is extremely diverse and features a variety of habitats and environments

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Terns

Terns are elegant birds, distinguishable from gulls by their slim, streamlined appearance and can be seen hovering above the water before plunge-diving for fish.

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Wading Birds

Often referred to as waders, huge numbers of these birds arrive on the Essex coast in the autumn and spend the winter with us before migrating back up to the Arctic in the spring.

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