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Records 2019–2024 · GBIF

Birds in Cardiff

Our list for Cardiff has 124 bird species recorded regularly there: 58 residents, 10 summer visitors, 26 winter visitors, 18 passage migrants and 12 scarce visitors

The list comes from 80,000 birdwatchers' records from 2019–2024, shared through the eBird Observation Dataset on GBIF. A bird is listed when it was recorded in at least 3 of the 6 years and has a Birdfact species guide, so more species occur here than are listed; the months show when it is recorded most years.

Species on our list
124
In October
81
Common
64
Busiest month
Apr

What's special about Cardiff

vs Wales

The birds recorded far more often here than across Wales, as a share of all bird records. These are the ones Cardiff is worth visiting for.

  1. Yellow-legged GullYellow-legged Gull4.5×Passage migrant · 0.07% of records here, 0.02% across Wales
  2. Coal TitCoal Tit3.1×Resident · 2.5% of records here, 0.79% across Wales
  3. Rock DoveRock Dove2.8×Resident · 2.3% of records here, 0.84% across Wales
  4. Great Spotted WoodpeckerGreat Spotted Woodpecker2.6×Resident · 2.4% of records here, 0.91% across Wales
  5. European Green WoodpeckerEuropean Green Woodpecker2.6×Summer visitor · 0.65% of records here, 0.25% across Wales
  6. PochardPochard2.4×Winter visitor · 0.34% of records here, 0.14% across Wales
  7. Eurasian NuthatchEurasian Nuthatch2.4×Resident · 1.6% of records here, 0.68% across Wales
  8. Great Crested GrebeGreat Crested Grebe2.3×Resident · 1.4% of records here, 0.59% across Wales

This month: October

GBIF · Oct

Most likely

  1. MagpieMagpie4.84%
  2. WoodpigeonWoodpigeon4.57%
  3. European RobinEuropean Robin4.54%
  4. Carrion CrowCarrion Crow4.25%
  5. Blue TitBlue Tit3.99%
  6. Great TitGreat Tit3.39%

Arriving now

  1. RedwingRedwingWinter visitorSep 0.02% → Oct 0.66%
  2. GoldeneyeGoldeneyePassage migrantSep 0.00% → Oct 0.21%
  3. Water RailWater RailWinter visitorSep 0.06% → Oct 0.13%
  4. Common ShelduckCommon ShelduckResidentSep 0.08% → Oct 0.11%
  5. RookRookWinter visitorSep 0.00% → Oct 0.11%
  6. Reed BuntingReed BuntingResidentSep 0.02% → Oct 0.09%

Share of all bird records in Cardiff in October, 2019–2024. “Arriving now” are the birds whose share rises most from last month. Each month links to that month’s page.

Near you this week

The birds most likely around your town or postcode right now, from the same records, for a square about 9 km across.

The bird calendar for Cardiff

Month by month

When each bird is around, through the year. The darker the square, the closer that month is to the bird’s busiest. Filter by summer or winter visitors to see the seasons turn over.

The year in Cardiff

Records by month
Bird records in Cardiff by month, 2019–2024
January8,760
February7,096
March8,245
April9,421
May6,735
June6,165
July5,325
August3,978
September4,960
October5,313
November6,719
December7,389

April has the most records (9,421). Records follow birdwatchers as well as birds: a busy month means more people out looking, as well as more birds passing through.

By family

12 of 23
All 23 families in Cardiff

How common

More of Wales

All of Wales

All 124 birds, A to Z

Show all 124 birds

Questions

4

What birds is Cardiff known for?

Compared with the rest of Wales, Cardiff stands out for Yellow-legged Gull, Coal Tit, Rock Dove and Great Spotted Woodpecker. Each is recorded at least 2.6 times as often here as across Wales, as a share of all bird records (2019–2024).

How many birds are on Birdfact's list for Cardiff?

124 species, each recorded regularly in Cardiff (in at least 3 of the 6 years 2019–2024): 58 residents, 10 summer visitors, 26 winter visitors, 18 passage migrants and 12 scarce visitors. The list includes only birds with a Birdfact species guide, so more species occur in Cardiff, and rarer vagrants are not listed.

What birds can I see in Cardiff in October?

81 species on our list for Cardiff are recorded regularly in October. Of these, the most often recorded are Magpie, Woodpigeon, European Robin, Carrion Crow and Blue Tit.

What are the most common birds in Cardiff?

Of the birds on our list, the ones birdwatchers record most often in Cardiff are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, European Robin, Magpie and Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made

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