Reflections on the inaugural Welsh Raptor Convention.
Raptors – the majestic hunters of our skies – have always been an important component of Wales’ natural heritage, and they remain very popular in the country. However, their populations, trends and distributions here have long been a bit mysterious, much like the birds themselves. In 2025, to better understand the health of their populations, we at BTO Cymru launched Cudyll Cymru – a survey which focuses on five widespread species found in the country. Interest in the survey quickly surpassed our wildest expectations, with hundreds of people signing on throughout the spring. To build on the momentum, and to celebrate our birds of prey more widely, on 31 January 2026 we held our very first Welsh Raptor Convention at Aberystwyth University.
Over a year in planning, we wanted the Raptor Convention to be welcoming and appealing to everyone, no matter what their current knowledge of birds of prey. Science is the backbone of BTO, but we also wanted talks with a more human element, focusing on how raptors have shaped and impacted people’s lives. With spring approaching on the horizon, we also aimed to build excitement for the next season of surveying, and to inspire new volunteers from the audience to get involved.
Tickets sold out several weeks in advance and, on that wintery last day of January, more than 150 people from all over Wales arrived in Aberystwyth. It was great to see many familiar faces from the birding community, but it was also quite refreshing to meet some who had never been to a bird convention before.
The day was kicked off by BTO Cymru’s Charlotte Griffiths (Cudyll Cymru’s Coordinator) who warmly welcomed everyone and gave a heartfelt thanks to those who took part. Our charity as a whole simply wouldn’t exist without our wonderful volunteers, and it was particularly wholesome that day to be able to show appreciation and gratitude in-person.
Up next was Keith Offord, who shared his rich knowledge on the ecology of Wales’ raptors. It was especially interesting learning more about our country’s rarer raptors, such as Hen Harrier, Merlin and Short-eared Owl, whose precarious ‘clawholds’ in Wales make it ever-more important that we study and conserve them. Following on from Keith was Liliana Tarrent Sneddon, one of our BTO Youth Representatives in Wales, who focused on the inspiring qualities of raptors. Incredibly captivating, she highlighted that birds of prey are an excellent ‘gateway’ group of birds that can foster a wider appreciation for the natural world.
Ian Guildford from the National Wildlife Crime Unit gave an interesting talk on protecting raptors from persecution – an issue that sadly remains a significant threat to many species. He was then followed by Callum Macgregor from the BTO Cymru team, who shared the long-awaited results of the first year of Cudyll Cymru, which saw an incredible 263 volunteers submit data across 399 ‘Survey Areas’ in Wales. Before we knew it, it was time for lunch and, along with the delicious food, it was great having ample time to network with new and familiar faces.
The afternoon began with a workshop on raptor feathers and pellets, delivered by Charlotte. Knowing the nuances of different feathers can be key to confirm species presence in an area, and I’m sure many of us found the session particularly interesting. The workshop was followed by a talk by Sophie-lee Williams from Eagle Reintroduction Wales, who focused on the potential of having a White-tailed Eagle population again in Wales (after over a century of persecution-driven absence). Perhaps in the very near future, once licences are approved, they might once again be flying across Welsh skies.
Kate MacRae gave a talk on monitoring birds of prey in her local area, which, from her impressive Sparrowhawk hunting footage from her camera traps, no doubt made many of us appreciate not being born as a tit or finch! Matt Spracklen – a social media influencer known as the Rock ’n Roll Birder – then shared his appreciation of the species group, especially the breathtakingly majestic Lammergeier, which he has been lucky to see during his adventures in the Pyrenees. For the final session of the day, Rachel Taylor from BTO Cymru talked about the future of Cudyll Cymru, and the importance of raising awareness of raptors as key species of Welsh ecosystems.
All of us from the BTO team had a great time at the convention. It had a vibrant atmosphere of hope and optimism, and huge credit should be given to Charlotte and Callum who worked relentlessly for many months to pull it off so smoothly. We are also very grateful to the Nature Networks Programme (delivered by the Heritage Fund, on behalf of the Welsh Government), whose support of Cudyll Cymru enabled us to organise this event, and offer substantially subsidised tickets including free entry for under-25s. Hopefully this will now be an annual event for BTO Cymru and our supporters, and will continue to bring Wales’ raptor community – and our birdwatching community more broadly – closer together to celebrate these birds that inspire us all.
