Perch Supply
Caerphilly County Borough · 51.66°N

Birds of Gelligaer

What has actually been seen around Gelligaer: 136 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record
136 within 5 km
Observation records
40,329 since 2010
Most recorded bird
Robin
Busiest month
April
Elevation
233 m
Daylight, June / December
16.7 h / 7.8 h

What the records say about Gelligaer

136 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Gelligaer (Caerphilly County Borough) since 2010, across 40,329 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Robin, Woodpigeon and Blackbird.

Gelligaer is a garden-bird place: 86% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Robin, Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Carrion Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

15 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Eurasian Sparrowhawk and Red Kite. 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 August — about 3.5 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.

Blackwood, 3 km to the east, has a similar number of species on record (135 against 136).

At about 233 m above sea level, Gelligaer sits higher than most places in Caerphilly County Borough. Spring arrives a little later with height, and feeders matter more in cold snaps — keep a supply of high-fat food going through late winter.

Daylight runs from 16 h 40 min at midsummer to 7 h 48 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:18 in mid-April and 4:54 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Gelligaer

#BirdRecords
1RobinErithacus rubecula2,346
2WoodpigeonColumba palumbus2,329
3BlackbirdTurdus merula2,303
4Carrion CrowCorvus corone1,808
5JackdawColoeus monedula1,797
6Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus1,605
7House SparrowPasser domesticus1,587
8MagpiePica pica1,536
9Great TitParus major1,270
10DunnockPrunella modularis1,177
11Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto1,083
12WrenTroglodytes troglodytes1,039
13StarlingSturnus vulgaris1,011
14GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis990
15ChaffinchFringilla coelebs884
16White-throated DipperCinclus cinclus859
17Common BuzzardButeo buteo736
18Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea727
19MallardAnas platyrhynchos683
20Coal TitPeriparus ater681

Records by month

What to put out in Gelligaer

Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.

Seasonal bird notes for Caerphilly 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 Gelligaer?

The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Gelligaer are Robin, Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Carrion Crow and Jackdaw, based on 40,329 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Gelligaer?

136 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).

When is the best month for birds in Gelligaer?

Observation records peak in April and are lowest in August. Sunrise in late June is around 4:54.

Sources

  1. GBIF occurrence search (birds, class Aves, 2010 onward)
  2. 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.