Birds of Rhayader
What has actually been seen around Rhayader: 114 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 114 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 6,590 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Red Kite
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 219 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 16.8 h / 7.7 h
What the records say about Rhayader
114 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Rhayader (Sir Powys) since 2010, across 6,590 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Red Kite, Common Buzzard and Carrion Crow.
Rhayader 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. Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Robin and Great Tit make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
12 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Common Buzzard and Tawny Owl.
Records peak in May and are lowest in December — about 14.9 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.
Newbridge on Wye, 11 km to the south-east, has fewer species on record (91 against 114). Birds logged far more often around Rhayader than there include Common Raven, Common Redstart, European Pied Flycatcher and Grey Wagtail.
At about 219 m above sea level, Rhayader sits higher than most places in Sir Powys. Spring arrives a little later with height, and feeders matter more in cold snaps — keep a supply of high-fat food going through late winter.
Daylight runs from 16 h 48 min at midsummer to 7 h 41 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:18 in mid-April and 4:51 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Rhayader
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 499 |
| 2 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 282 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 255 |
| 4 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 243 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 238 |
| 6 | Great TitParus major | 210 |
| 7 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 204 |
| 8 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 199 |
| 9 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 181 |
| 10 | NuthatchSitta europaea | 176 |
| 11 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 150 |
| 12 | Common RavenCorvus corax | 146 |
| 13 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 136 |
| 14 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 130 |
| 15 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 123 |
| 16 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 121 |
| 17 | Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus | 118 |
| 18 | European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca | 116 |
| 19 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 116 |
| 20 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 115 |
Records by month
What to put out in Rhayader
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
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 Rhayader?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Rhayader are Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Robin, Great Tit and Chaffinch, based on 6,590 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Rhayader?
114 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Rhayader?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:51.
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.