Urban birding in Cardiff by Ethan Hall, Cardiff University Ornithological Society

Cardiff, capital city of Wales. Home of die-hard rugby fans, thousands of students, and a surprisingly large range of some truly remarkable birds. Whether that’s the winter thrushes that visit the splendid Bute Park, the Peregrine Falcons nesting on the city hall clock tower, or the spectacular Starling murmurations over the bay, it is difficult to escape our feathered neighbours. But then again, why would you want to? The bird life in Cardiff is something to marvel at, and hopefully you can check out some of these key spots and find out just what I’m talking about.

Bute Park

Bute Park alone is home to some of the most charming and quintessentially British birds. A gentle stroll amongst some champion trees during winter may lead you to see what I believe to be the funkiest bird that visits our shores. With a distinctive hairstyle, the Waxwing is most certainly a bird worth waiting for, and if you find one you’re sure to see more. Often seen flocking together and gorging on berries, the Waxwing are truly a sight to behold.

Push further into Bute Park and find yourself along the Taff trail to catch a glimpse of dazzling blue, or if you’re lucky enough, a full sighting of the glorious Kingfisher. Unmistakable in their azure and golden colours these birds make their home along the Taff and provide that jump of joy as they lighten up the day with a simple passing sight. Even those who aren’t keen birders can’t help a note of excitement when a Kingfisher flies past, a sure-fire sign that this is a bird no one wants to miss. 

Goosander by Jill Pakenham

Also making an appearance on the Taff is the Goosander. Not as colourful as the aforementioned Kingfisher, but a great bird in its own right, the Goosander is one of the larger birds to be seen along the river and makes a pleasant change from the never-ending stream of Black-headed gulls.

Outside of the park, it is always worth visiting the clock tower at city hall to get a view of the fastest animal on the planet. It is wonderful that such an amazing predator is right on our doorstep. I am of course talking about the Peregrine Falcons. The best time to see these magnificent animals is probably when they have their young during spring. The additional food they must supply means they can be seen out and about more readily and some cracking views can be seen, especially when the RSPB have their scope set up.

Also within the city, the trees of Queen Street come alive at dusk with hundreds of Pied wagtails coming to roost in them. Drawn by the warmth of the streets, these charismatic birds fill the trees and so many people walk along, oblivious to the hordes above them. It is definitely worth having a perch on one of the benches as it grows dark and just watching them roll in to settle down for the night.

As a mentioned right at the beginning, Cardiff Bay also holds many wonderful birds, but I think we will leave that for another post! Don’t forget to follow us on twitter @CUBirds to see what we are up to!