Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory was founded in 1953. A group of keen birders and naturalists from the West Midlands visited the island and saw that Bardsey would be an excellent site not only for studying birds, but also for studying the whole complex ecology of a small island.

The Observatory was formed by a group comprising representatives of the Birmingham and West Midland Bird Club, the West Wales Field Society, inhabitants of the island, and interested people from Caernarfonshire. Subsequently the Bardsey Island Trust was formed when the island came up for sale in the mid-seventies.

Members of the Observatory and some of the locals from Gwynedd initiated the purchase of the island and formed the Trust, whose main aim is to conserve the rich heritage and natural history of the island.

Bardsey Bird Observatory is the only fully accredited observatory in Wales and is one of a growing network of around 20 bird observatories in the British Isles. It is a registered charity.