A Systematic List and the results of the Breeding Bird Survey are included in the ANNUAL REPORTS
Or alternatively, click here to access the BIRDS DATABASE
The list given below represents the list of birds recorded at King's Mead since April 2002 and includes a brief description of their status at King's Mead and individual records where appropriate. To date (31st December 2008), a total of 128 species of bird have been recorded at King's Mead since April 2002.
Present in small numbers during the spring and summer months. Breeds.
Great Crested Grebe
Infrequent visitor to West and East Pools.
Cormorant
Frequent on East Pool.
Bittern
1 recorded flying over site on the 11th November 2003.
Little Egret
1 or 2 recorded infrequently. The Little Egret will not tolerate disturbance and, therefore, will not normally stay for long.
Grey Heron
Resident in small numbers.
White Stork
1 on the 10th April 2004 circled high over the site from 11.05am to 11.25am before landing on Little Mead. It flew off high to the south at 11.40am after being disturbed by corvids.
Mute Swan
Resident in small numbers. Breeds.
White-fronted Goose
9 on 14th February and 17 on 16th February 2003.
Grey Lag Goose
Uncommon.
Barnacle Goose
1 on several dates in 2007 and 2008.
Canada Goose
Not commonly recorded during the day, although up to150 can be recorded coming into roost.
Brent Goose
1 on the 15th June 2002, 1 on the 14th January 2006.
Egyptian Goose
2 on the 24th June 2007
Shelduck
1 - 2 pairs present occasionally.
Wigeon
Common winter visitor. King's Mead is important for Wigeon at county level (see the 2002 Report).
Gadwall
Resident. King's Mead is important for Gadwall at a county level and is marginally important at nation level (see the 2002 Report). Breeds.
Teal
Winter visitor. King's Mead is important for Teal at county Level (see the 2002 Report).
Mallard
Resident. Breeds.
Pintail
1 on 5th September 2004, 6 on 3rd July 2008 and 2 on 23rd January 2009.
Garganey
Occasional spring and autumn migrant.
Shoveler
Common winter visitor. King's Mead is important for Shoveler at county level (see the 2002 Report).
Pochard
Uncommon winter visitor. Bred in 2008.
Tufted Duck
Resident. Breeds.
Goosander
1-3 between 25th October and 30th December 2008.
Ruddy Duck
Uncommon winter visitor. Bred in 2008.
Red Kite
1 on 18th May 2005.
Sparrowhawk
Resident.
Buzzard
Occasionally seen flying over the site.
Osprey
1 on the the 12th September 2002, flying purposefully south.
Kestrel
Resident. Breeds.
Merlin
1 male chasing Meadow Pipits on Little Mead on the 21st February 2004 and 1 on 8th April 2007.
Hobby
Occasional summer visitor.
Red-legged Partridge
2 on 15th and 21st May 2005.
Pheasant
Resident.
Water Rail
Winter visitor. Elusive. Probably more common than the records would suggest.
Moorhen
Resident. King's Mead is important for Moorhen at county level (see the 2002 Report). Breeds.
Coot
Resident. Breeds.
Oystercatcher
1 on the 25th April 2002 and the 15th and 21st May 2005.
Little Ringed Plover
Regular summer visitor. Breeds occasionally.
Ringed Plover
Uncommon summer visitor.
Golden Plover
1 on the 27th November 2007.
Lapwing
Present most months of the year. Breeds.
Knot
1 on 29th June 2005.
Curlew Sandpiper
3 on 11th September 2007.
Dunlin
Uncommon spring and autumn migrant.
Ruff
Uncommon autumn migrant.
Jack Snipe
Regular winter visitor, but only present in 1's or 2's.
Snipe
Regular winter visitor.
Woodcock
1 present on the 12th March 2006.
Black-tailed Godwit
Uncommon autumn migrant.
Redshank
Uncommon spring and autumn migrant. Breeds.
Greenshank
Occasional autumn migrant.
Green Sandpiper
Regular autumn migrant.
Wood Sandpiper
Occasional migrant.
Common Sandpiper
Common spring and autumn migrant.
Little Gull
1 present on the 23rd September 2004
Black-headed Gull
Resident apart from the summer months.
Common Gull
Resident apart from the summer months.
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Resident apart from the summer months.
Herring Gull
Resident apart from the summer months.
Yellow-legged Gull
Uncommon winter visitor.
Great Black-backed Gull
Resident apart from the summer months.
Common Tern
Common summer visitor.
Stock Dove
Resident in small numbers.
Wood Pigeon
Resident.
Collared Dove
Resident.
Turtle Dove
1 on 6th May 2008.
Cuckoo
Uncommon summer visitor.
Barn Owl
Uncommon.
Little Owl
1 on 29th August 2004, 3rd September 2004, 14th November 2007, 17th November 2007 and 27th October 2008.
Short-eared Owl
1 on 7th November 2004 and 1st January 2006.
Swift
Common summer visitor.
Kingfisher
Resident.
Green Woodpecker
Resident.
Great Spotted Woodpecker
A few records.
Sky Lark
Resident apart from the winter months. Breeds.
Sand Martin
Common summer visitor.
Swallow
Common summer visitor.
House Martin
Common summer visitor.
Meadow Pipit
Resident. Roosting species. Breeds.
Yellow Wagtail
Uncommon migrant.
Grey Wagtail
Resident. Breeds.
Pied Wagtail
Resident.
Wren
Resident.
Dunnock
Resident.
Robin
Resident.
Redstart
1 on 10th September 2005
Whinchat
Regular spring and autumn migrant.
Stonechat
Resident apart from the summer months. Bred in 2003.
Wheatear
Uncommon migrant.
Blackbird
Resident.
Ring Ouzel
1 on 21st April 2008.
Fieldfare
Common winter visitor. Roosting species.
Song Thrush
Resident.
Redwing
Common winter visitor. Roosting species.
Mistle Thrush
Resident.
Grasshopper Warbler
1 reeling on the 18th April 2004 and 11th-21st July 2007.
Sedge Warbler
Common summer visitor. Breeds.
Reed Warbler
Common summer visitor. Breeds.
Lesser Whitethroat
Uncommon summer visitor. Has bred..
Whitethroat
Common summer visitor. Breeds.
Garden Warbler
Uncommon summer visitor. Has bred.
Blackcap
Common summer visitor. Breeds.
Chiffchaff
Common summer visitor. Breeds.
Willow Warbler
A regular breeding species up to 2001. Now an uncommon summer visitor.
Goldcrest
Uncommon.
Spotted Flcatcher
Occasional autumn migrant.
Long-tailed Tit
Resident.
Blue Tit
Resident.
Great Tit
Resident.
Coal Tit
1 on 12th December 2006 and 25th November 2007.
Jay
Uncommon.
Magpie
Resident.
Jackdaw
Resident.
Rook
Resident.
Carrion Crow
Resident.
Starling
Resident.
House Sparrow
Common at the south-west end of the site.
Chaffinch
Resident.
Brambling
Uncommon winter visitor.
Greenfinch
Resident.
Siskin
Uncommon.
Goldfinch
Resident.
Redpoll
Uncommon.
Linnet
Resident. Breeds.
Bullfinch
Uncommon.
Reed Bunting
Resident. Breeds.