Birds of Mountain Ash
What has actually been seen around Mountain Ash: 133 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 133 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 14,763 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Jackdaw
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 116 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Mountain Ash
133 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Mountain Ash (Rhondda Cynon Taf) since 2010, across 14,763 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Jackdaw, Blackbird and Robin.
Mountain Ash is a garden-bird place: 81% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Jackdaw, Blackbird, Robin and Woodpigeon make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
15 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Red Kite and Tawny Owl. 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 6.0 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.
Ynysybwl, 5 km to the south, has a similar number of species on record (132 against 133).
Daylight runs from 16 h 41 min at midsummer to 7 h 48 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 Mountain Ash
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 819 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 798 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 698 |
| 4 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 671 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 508 |
| 6 | Great TitParus major | 445 |
| 7 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 443 |
| 8 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 422 |
| 9 | MagpiePica pica | 419 |
| 10 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 416 |
| 11 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 410 |
| 12 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 377 |
| 13 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 359 |
| 14 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 334 |
| 15 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 289 |
| 16 | NuthatchSitta europaea | 275 |
| 17 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 266 |
| 18 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 264 |
| 19 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 254 |
| 20 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 253 |
Records by month
What to put out in Mountain Ash
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Rhondda Cynon Taf
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 Mountain Ash?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Mountain Ash are Jackdaw, Blackbird, Robin, Woodpigeon and Blue Tit, based on 14,763 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Mountain Ash?
133 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Mountain Ash?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in August. 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.