Birds of Cardigan
What has actually been seen around Cardigan: 177 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 177 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 14,919 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Canada Goose
- Busiest month
- September
- Elevation
- 10 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.8 h / 7.7 h
What the records say about Cardigan
177 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Cardigan (Ceredigion) since 2010, across 14,919 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Canada Goose, Robin and European Herring Gull.
Water shapes this list. 49% of records near Cardigan are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Canada Goose, European Herring Gull and Mallard lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Robin is still the most logged garden bird.
11 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard and Red Kite.
Records peak in September and are lowest in February — about 3.0 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.
Llechryd, 4 km to the south-east, has fewer species on record (151 against 177). Birds logged far more often around Cardigan than there include Barnacle Goose, Eurasian Oystercatcher and Mediterranean Gull.
Daylight runs from 16 h 45 min at midsummer to 7 h 44 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:23 in mid-April and 4:57 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Cardigan
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 1,850 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 481 |
| 3 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 447 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 420 |
| 5 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 373 |
| 6 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 369 |
| 7 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 366 |
| 8 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 354 |
| 9 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 352 |
| 10 | MagpiePica pica | 338 |
| 11 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 322 |
| 12 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 313 |
| 13 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 293 |
| 14 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 287 |
| 15 | Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsis | 278 |
| 16 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 270 |
| 17 | Little EgretEgretta garzetta | 261 |
| 18 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 248 |
| 19 | Great TitParus major | 240 |
| 20 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 237 |
Records by month
What to put out in Cardigan
Seasonal bird notes for Ceredigion
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 Cardigan?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Cardigan are Robin, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Blue Tit and Blackbird, based on 14,919 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Cardigan?
177 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Cardigan?
Observation records peak in September and are lowest in February. 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.