Birds of Brecon
What has actually been seen around Brecon: 101 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 101 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 2,746 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Blackbird
- Busiest month
- June
- Elevation
- 136 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.7 h / 7.8 h
What the records say about Brecon
101 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Brecon (Sir Powys) since 2010, across 2,746 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Blackbird, Robin and Swift.
Brecon is a garden-bird place: 75% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Blackbird, Robin, House Sparrow and Blue Tit make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
9 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Common Buzzard and Eurasian Sparrowhawk. 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 June and are lowest in October — about 9.4 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.
Talgarth, 12 km to the north-east, has fewer species on record (83 against 101). Birds logged far more often around Brecon than there include Mallard, Rock Pigeon, Gray Heron and Common Kingfisher.
Daylight runs from 16 h 44 min at midsummer to 7 h 45 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:18 in mid-April and 4:53 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Brecon
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 149 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 141 |
| 3 | SwiftApus apus | 116 |
| 4 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 115 |
| 5 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 111 |
| 6 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 98 |
| 7 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 97 |
| 8 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 91 |
| 9 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 90 |
| 10 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 82 |
| 11 | Great TitParus major | 66 |
| 12 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 65 |
| 13 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 64 |
| 14 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 60 |
| 15 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 59 |
| 16 | White-throated DipperCinclus cinclus | 58 |
| 17 | House MartinDelichon urbicum | 53 |
| 18 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 50 |
| 19 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 48 |
| 20 | MagpiePica pica | 48 |
Records by month
What to put out in Brecon
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
- Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
Seasonal bird notes for Sir Powys
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 Brecon?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Brecon are Blackbird, Robin, House Sparrow, Blue Tit and Woodpigeon, based on 2,746 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Brecon?
101 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Brecon?
Observation records peak in June and are lowest in October. Sunrise in late June is around 4:53.
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.