Amphibians

Amphibians (frogs, toads and newts) need pools and ponds to breed in, grasslands, heath, bogs for foraging, and dense cover to hibernate in. Our wet, mild climate with a network of ponds and wetlands, and wealth of semi-natural habitats makes RCT ideal amphibian habitat.

Bluebell

Of all of our plants, one flower both evokes and crowns the annual spectacular of spring– the bluebell.

Butterflies

RCT has 33 species of butterfly which breed or occur as frequent visitors, plus High Brown Fritillary which is a target for recolonisation from the nearby Alun Valley in Vale of Glamorgan.

Deptford Pink

In the UK the Deptford Pink is fully protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act and it is a vulnerable and declining species.

Ferns

Year ‘round in RCT we are blessed with mild and wet weather.  It may not be brilliant for growing roses, but our oceanic climate suits ferns down to the ground and even deeper. 

Green Winged Orchid

Cefn Y Parc Cemetary is the only site in RCT for green winged orchids

Mammals

RCT is home to a wide variety of mammals, with our complex network of habitats providing a rich and varied landscape for small mammals such as mice, voles, and shrews, as well as larger mammals including stoats, polecats, badgers and otters.

Orb Spiders

Autumn is a season of orb spiders. Orb Spiders are the most common group of web-builders, creating spiral wheel-shaped webs often found in gardens, fields, and forests.

Otter

The European otter is a large, powerful mammal, with grey-brown fur, a broad snout, and a pale chest and throat. Otters are one of the UKs top predators, and the species has recently made a comeback in the UK.

Reptiles

The complex mosaics of wet and dry grassland, scree and spoil tips, heath and ffridd that characterises so much of the landscape of RCT is superb reptile habitat.

Swifts

The populations of swifts have sadly declined in RCT over the years, as a result of loss of nest sites and feeding habitat. ......

Water Vole

The water vole is a much-loved British mammal. However, due to pressure from predation and habitat loss, the water vole needs urgent help if the species is to survive in the UK.

Bats

We know that 13 species of bat have been recorded in RCT and there may be several others waiting to be found.

Bush Crickets, Grasshoppers & Groundhoppers

There is much to learn about the distribution and status of bush crickets, groundhoppers and grasshoppers. If you manage to learn the songs, then identification is made easier.

Cuckoo

The call of the cuckoo is surely one of the most evocative sounds of spring. The one bird song that most people in RCT will know, even if they have never heard one in the wild.

Dormouse

The Hazel Dormouse benefits from the highest levels of UK and European legal protection. It has a very patchy distribution in Wales and, in Rhondda Cynon Taf, we are fortunate to support important populations of this enigmatic species.

Fungi

Fungi are often called the Forgotten Kingdom. Although fungi underpin life on Earth, they have been overlooked and underappreciated and largely excluded from conservation strategies and environmental laws.

Hedgehog

The much-loved hedgehog was the subject of its own Action Plan in the original Action for Nature. It gained that status via the ‘popular vote’ as a locally valued species.

Moths

While our butterflies are well known, our moth fauna is much less so. This is partly because of the nocturnal habits of most species and partly because there are so many more species of moth than butterfly.

Orchids

You may be surprised to hear that there are at least eleven species of orchid in Rhondda Cynon Taf. Some are common and widespread whilst others are rare and endangered.

Raven

The raven is a large black bird, the biggest member of the crow family. It is all black with a large bill, and long wings. In flight, it shows a diamond-shaped tail.

Spittlebugs

Spittlebugs are the insects that produce 'cuckoo spit' that can be found on plants in the summer months. Cuckoo spit first appears in May, around the same time as Cuckoos return from Africa and start to sing.

Violet Oil Beetle

Oil beetles are incredible insects, but they are also under threat. Three of UK’s native oil beetles are now extinct, and the remaining five species have suffered drastic declines in their distributions due to changes in the way our countryside is managed (Buglife).