Can beginners take part?

We have developed Cudyll Cymru to be as accessible to everyone as possible!

The project is fully flexible to suit your availability and experience level, and there is plenty of training available, so even those with no prior experience can confidently participate in this important work. 

What skills are required? 

You need to be able to confidently identify one or more of the project’s five target species.

• The five species monitored by Cudyll Cymru are Buzzard, Kestrel, Raven, Red Kite and Sparrowhawk. You can monitor more than one species if you wish, but you don’t have to. 

You need to be able to count birds to survey your chosen area.

• If possible, you can also attempt to map territories, find nests and determine the number of chicks reaching fledging age from each nest (known as breeding success recording).

We provide training on all aspects of the project, from raptor identification and survey methodologies through to using the online project portal and data entry – so you don’t need to have these skills already to sign up!

How much time does it take? 

Time commitment varies depending on the extent of your chosen surveying and the size of your monitoring area, but the minimum amount of time required is just a few hours per month.

• Monitoring will take place during the breeding season, which is typically early March through to late August for most raptors.
• Data should be submitted to the data entry portal (Cudyll Cymru Online) by the end of September.

Where does the survey run? 

You are free to choose your survey area within Wales to monitor: this may be a place that’s local to you, perhaps a part of your favourite dog walk or daily commute.

• If you would like to join the project, please sign up. You will then be able to select a survey square.
• If you have already signed up for the project, you can select a survey square in the project's online portal, Cudyll Cymru Online, or view available squares below on the Survey square map. 

Survey square map

Use this map to help you identify where you would like to set up a survey area. You can filter by species and zoom in to check on the current monitoring coverage near you. 

Areas (tetrad squares) have been coloured according to their priority for monitoring as part of this project:

• Red - most useful
• Orange - more useful
• Yellow - useful
• Blue - availability limited

Select a square and follow the prompts to log in to Cudyll Cymru Online. You will then be able to draw a specific survey area within the square you selected.

Training and support

Identification and survey methodology

Raptors can be challenging to identify in the wild – some soar at great heights, while others are elusive and difficult to observe. That’s why we provide comprehensive training and ongoing support to all new volunteers, ensuring that even those with no prior experience can confidently participate in this important work.

A suite of materials, such as bird ID videos and written guides, survey methodologies and how to correctly record locations using grid references will be available to participants, along with personal support from our Welsh Raptor Monitoring Coordinator.

Furthermore, virtual and in-person workshops will be regularly hosted to develop skills complementary to monitoring these incredible birds, such as feather ID and fieldwork.

Data entry

Cudyll Cymru features an easy-to-use online portal where you can store and manage your personal records. Our Welsh Raptor Monitoring Coordinator will be on hand to help you get started, and throughout the duration of your participation, ensuring you can quickly and easily enter your data for analysis by BTO scientists. We also have tailored tutorials about data entry, as well as a comprehensive guidance manual.

An important element of this project is to make the methodologies, data entry and reporting as simple as possible for raptor enthusiasts beginning their monitoring journey.