Birds in Montpellier

More than 200 bird species have been observed in Montpellier. This richness is linked to the variety of natural environments present on the metropolitan territory: garrigues, holm oak forests, rivers, cultivated areas, coastal wetlands, parks and gardens...

City birds frequent natural areas, large parks, but also more urban environments: small private gardens and urban green spaces.

Walking through the city parks and gardens or along the banks of the Lez, you may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse or hear the melodious song of these birds:

Golden Goldfinch, Grey Wagtail, European Starling, Black-capped Warbler, Longhorn Warbler, Garden Creeper, Window Swallow, Barn Swallow, Hoopoe, Black Swift, Blue Tit, Chickadee, Chickadee, Chatteratcher, Tree Chaffinch, Philomel Nightingale, House Robin, White-fronted Redstart, Black Redstart, Cinereous Serin, Collared Dove, Winter Wren, European Greenfinch, Mallard, Kestrel, Common Moorhen, European Kingfisher, Long-tailed Tit, Sparrow, Green Woodpecker, Wood Pigeon.

For more information, see the "Birds of Montpellier" fact sheets opposite.

Some tips to encourage the presence of birds:

• Favor a diversity of plant structures (trees, shrubs, hedges, meadows),
• Maintain certain areas as fallow land,
• Preserve wild seeded "weeds" (thistles, nettles....),
• Promote diversity of plant species (annuals, perennials, deciduous, evergreen...),
• Plant hedges with berries (elder, wild rose, juniper...) and fruit (blackthorn, pear, olive...),
• Practice zero-pesticides,
• Let climbing plants (ivy...) cover certain walls,
• Keep some dead branches, or stumps: they're teeming with insects,
• Create watering holes,
• Hang a bell on your cat's collar,
• Put up nesting boxes.