Wildlife Facts
Here are some fascinating facts about some of Bristol city centre’s wildlife characters:
Swan Stats
- Swans have been in Bristol’s docks for at least 300 years!
- They’re here all year, but numbers go up in winter, when birds fly in from as far away as Abbotsbury in Dorset to benefit from warmer waters and a guaranteed source of food.
- Swans fly away to breed, because of a lack of suitable nest sites in the docks.
- The success of last year’s breeding can be worked out by the number of young (grey/brown) birds around.
- You can tell males from females by their bill – they’re brighter orange and have a larger black lump on top.
- Swans sometimes crash land on Bristol Bridge, causing traffic chaos!
Pigeon Pointers
- Bristol’s pigeons are some of the best documented in the world – being studied over the years by a keen local birdwatcher.
- The biggest recorded flock was 440 birds in the centre.
- People often feed pigeons in the same place year after year, and there are distinct flocks around the centre of Bristol – fed by local pigeon fans.
- Pigeon courtship is flamboyant – the male ruffles his head and neck feathers and does a circle dance, often cooing to attract a feathered friend.
Fishy Facts
- Pike, bream, roach, eel are all found in the cleaner water of the docks, as cormorants have discovered for themselves!
Gull Guide
- The city’s gulls are some of the best monitored anywhere.
- Roof top nursery. There are over 300 pairs of herring gulls and 900 pairs of lesser black-backs nesting on roof tops in and around the city centre.
- Herring gulls are around all year. But most lesser black-backs head south in the colder months to Portugal and Africa, where a big attraction is the sardine industry and its rich pickings.
- Black-headed gulls visit in winter. Over 500 can be seen in central Bristol. They roost at Chew Valley Lake, but commute to Bristol for food each day.
- Gulls love to gobble scraps. But they also gather on grassy areas to ‘dance for their dinner’, feasting on worms brought to the surface, for a healthy alternative.
- Confused? It’s easy. The legs have it! You can tell the difference between the gulls by their legs, lesser black-backed are yellow, herring are pink, and black-headed are red.
Left to right: Lesser black-backed gull; Herring gull; Black-headed gull
