Current bird monitoring approaches often struggle to provide information on raptors, which typically have low population densities and are often not active during dawn breeding bird surveys!

Cudyll Cymru aims to address the gaps in the current data provision for these iconic birds in Wales.

To do this, we need to expand our volunteer network, which will increase the geographical coverage across Wales and the expertise within the volunteer team. That’s why there is such a big focus on training and upskilling in Cudyll Cymru. 

Wales is suffering the combined pressures of land use change and climate change, and birds of prey find themselves at the forefront of both ecological pressure and human interventions. 

We need more data about raptor populations to understand how and why they are changing, and how we can help them. 

The data collected from Cudyll Cymru will serve as a baseline for monitoring future population trends, and will provide essential information to underpin effective conservation strategy and aid the Government’s legal commitments to wildlife protection.

Because many raptors sit at the top of the food chain, they are vital biotic indicators which provide insight into the general health of the local environment.

Raptors are highly sensitive to changes like habitat loss, prey availability, pollution, and human activities, which means we can use changes in raptor populations as early warning systems for detecting these shifts.

By prioritising the monitoring of these ecological keystone species within protected areas, such as SSSIs and SPAs, relevant agencies are better equipped to assess the effectiveness of current management strategies. Ultimately, this will enhance the effectiveness of Wales’s protected area network.