The Rowley Hills are rich in bird life. Resident species include familiar garden birds such as Blue and Great Tit, House Sparrow, Robin, Blackbird, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Collared Dove, Starling, Woodpigeon, Magpie and Wren.

Other residents include Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Carrion Crow, Stock Dove, Linnet, Skylark and Bullfinch.

The site is particularly good for raptors, with Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Peregrine, Red Kite and Kestrel all recorded.

In spring and summer, migrant species arrive to breed – these include warblers such as Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat; and also Swift and House Martin.

During migration in spring and autumn, more unusual bird species may stop off briefly outside of their usual habitats to ‘refuel’. Because of their elevation – at 271 m above sea-level, Turners Hill is the highest point in the West Midlands – the Rowley Hills attract passing migrants and species such as Ring Ouzel, Whinchat, Yellow Wagtail, Tree Pipit and Meadow Pipit have been recorded passing through.

Our bird gallery below features some of the species which may be seen in the hills.

Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) (image © Andy Cook)

Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus) (image © Andy Cook)

Long-tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus) (image © Andy Cook)

Blackbird (Turdus merula) (image © Andy Cook)

Robin (Erithacus rubecula) (image © Andy Cook)

Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) (image © Andy Cook)

Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus) (image © Andy Cook)

Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) (image © Andy Cook)

Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) (image © Andy Cook)

Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris) (image © Andy Cook)

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) (image © Andy Cook)

Buzzard (Buteo buteo) (image © Andy Cook)