Birds of Bethesda
What has actually been seen around Bethesda: 121 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 121 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 2,861 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Swift
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 176 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17 h / 7.5 h
What the records say about Bethesda
121 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Bethesda (Gwynedd) since 2010, across 2,861 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Swift, Robin and Common Buzzard.
Bethesda is a garden-bird place: 65% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Robin, Blackbird, Woodpigeon and Carrion Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
11 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Red Kite and Common Kestrel. 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 May and are lowest in November — about 15.9 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.
Deiniolen, 6 km to the south-west, has more species on record (132 against 121). Birds logged far more often around Bethesda than there include Swift, Common Cuckoo, Red-billed Chough and Ring Ouzel.
Daylight runs from 16 h 58 min at midsummer to 7 h 32 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:19 in mid-April and 4:48 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Bethesda
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SwiftApus apus | 476 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 89 |
| 3 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 87 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 87 |
| 5 | Common CuckooCuculus canorus | 81 |
| 6 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 75 |
| 7 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 74 |
| 8 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 72 |
| 9 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 71 |
| 10 | MagpiePica pica | 63 |
| 11 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 62 |
| 12 | Great TitParus major | 61 |
| 13 | White-throated DipperCinclus cinclus | 58 |
| 14 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 58 |
| 15 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 55 |
| 16 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 50 |
| 17 | Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus | 46 |
| 18 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 42 |
| 19 | Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis | 41 |
| 20 | Red-billed ChoughPyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax | 39 |
Records by month
What to put out in Bethesda
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Gwynedd
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 Bethesda?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Bethesda are Robin, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow and Jackdaw, based on 2,861 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Bethesda?
121 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Bethesda?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:48.
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.