Birds of Merthyr Tydfil
What has actually been seen around Merthyr Tydfil: 173 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 173 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 19,140 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Robin
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 186 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Merthyr Tydfil
173 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Merthyr Tydfil (Merthyr Tydfil County Borough) since 2010, across 19,140 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Robin, Carrion Crow and Blackbird.
Merthyr Tydfil is a garden-bird place: 66% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Robin, Carrion Crow, Blackbird and Woodpigeon make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
16 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Red Kite and Common Kestrel.
Records peak in May and are lowest in February — about 2.7 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.
Aberdare, 6 km to the south-west, has fewer species on record (107 against 173). Birds logged far more often around Merthyr Tydfil than there include Red Kite, Common Merganser, Great Crested Grebe and Northern Lapwing.
Daylight runs from 16 h 41 min at midsummer to 7 h 47 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:19 in mid-April and 4:54 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Merthyr Tydfil
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 688 |
| 2 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 680 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 660 |
| 4 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 529 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 495 |
| 6 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 475 |
| 7 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 473 |
| 8 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 472 |
| 9 | MagpiePica pica | 471 |
| 10 | Great TitParus major | 465 |
| 11 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 425 |
| 12 | Common RavenCorvus corax | 405 |
| 13 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 395 |
| 14 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 384 |
| 15 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 353 |
| 16 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 351 |
| 17 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 347 |
| 18 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 346 |
| 19 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 307 |
| 20 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 287 |
Records by month
What to put out in Merthyr Tydfil
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Merthyr Tydfil 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 Merthyr Tydfil?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Merthyr Tydfil are Robin, Carrion Crow, Blackbird, Woodpigeon and Blue Tit, based on 19,140 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Merthyr Tydfil?
173 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Merthyr Tydfil?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 4:54.
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.