Birds of Porthcawl
What has actually been seen around Porthcawl: 235 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 235 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 53,677 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- European Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 12 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.6 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Porthcawl
235 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Porthcawl (Bridgend county borough) since 2010, across 53,677 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Carrion Crow and Blackbird.
Water shapes this list. 40% of records near Porthcawl are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — European Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull and Mallard lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Carrion Crow is still the most logged garden bird.
17 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel.
Records peak in January and are lowest in July — 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.
Pyle, 4 km to the north, has fewer species on record (225 against 235). Birds logged far more often around Porthcawl than there include Eurasian Rock Pipit, Common Merganser, Little Egret and Common Shelduck.
Daylight runs from 16 h 38 min at midsummer to 7 h 50 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:21 in mid-April and 4:57 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Porthcawl
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 1,895 |
| 2 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,511 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,393 |
| 4 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,157 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,142 |
| 6 | MagpiePica pica | 1,132 |
| 7 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 1,096 |
| 8 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 1,093 |
| 9 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,089 |
| 10 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,044 |
| 11 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 991 |
| 12 | European StonechatSaxicola rubicola | 976 |
| 13 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 952 |
| 14 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 927 |
| 15 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 858 |
| 16 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 841 |
| 17 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 795 |
| 18 | Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis | 784 |
| 19 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 742 |
| 20 | Eurasian Rock PipitAnthus petrosus | 740 |
Records by month
What to put out in Porthcawl
Seasonal bird notes for Bridgend county borough
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 Porthcawl?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Porthcawl are Carrion Crow, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Robin and Magpie, based on 53,677 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Porthcawl?
235 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Porthcawl?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in July. Sunrise in late June is around 4:57.
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.