Tropical Birds Moving North to the UK April 29, 2011

Wales on Line reports:

They’re normally spotted in the more exotic climes of Africa, South America and the Mediterranean. But changing global climates are bringing some unusual avian visitors to Wales, as Sion Morgan reports

From the African plains to the mountains of the Himalayas, from the wilderness of Alaska to the South American jungle, it seems the world’s most exotic birds are increasingly visiting our Welsh shores.

…. in the past 12 months African bee-eaters and purple herons have been seen in Anglesey, North American great white egrets in parts of the former Gwent and a stunning South American bobolink in St Davids, Pembrokeshire.

The RSPB says that the growing trend has been partly caused by the deep winter freeze across northern Europe and Russia, which drove many exotic and unusual birds into Britain’s back gardens, combined with the fact that the warm springs of the last couple of years have seen migrating Mediterranean birds being attracted further north than usual.