Fergus Gill/2020VISION
Garden birds
Over recent years, numbers of our once-common garden birds have dropped dramatically in the wake of increased development, intensification of farming, and habitat loss - by up to 71% for some birds.
Learn how you can help and how to identify different birds below.
Help the birds in your garden
Garden birds do have a lifeline - your garden. Together, the 20 million gardens across the UK form an area for wildlife larger than all our National Nature Reserves. This patchwork of habitats helps our wildlife to move about freely, forming a vast living landscape that links urban green spaces with the wider countryside. Encouraging birds to visit your garden is easy and a great way to help!
Click here for tips on how to encourage wildlife into your garden.
Help the birds in your area
We manage over 3,096 acres of reserves which are havens for rare and threatened species and habitats. We give wildlife a voice, campaigning on wildlife issues and focusing on protecting local wildlife.
The best way to help us is through membership. Our 31,000 members are critical to all the work we do to protect local wildlife - click here to learn more about membership and how you can get involved.
There are a whole range of other ways to help. If you want to find out more about how you can help us help local wildlife, please visit the Support Us page.
Which birds am I likely to see in my garden?
Typically, males are more distinguishable than females. Click through to browse the species pages for more details about these birds. The UK's 10 most common garden visitors are:
Mark Hamblin/2020VISION
House sparrow
Males (pictured) are streaky brown above and grey below, with chestnut-and-white wings, a black bib and a grey cap. Females and juveniles are duller.
Mark Robinson
Starling
Adults (pictured) are oily-black with a purple-and-green sheen, and tiny, beige spots in winter. Juveniles are dark grey-brown.
Andy Rouse/2020VISION
Blue tit
Greeny-blue above and yellow below, with a blue cap, white cheeks, black eye-stripes, and a blue tail and wings.
Jon Hawkins - Surrey Hills Photography
Blackbird
Males (pictured) are black with a yellow bill and a yellow ring around each eye. Females and juveniles are dark brown.
Amy Lewis
Woodpigeon
Grey above, with a pink breast, white neck patch and white patches on the wings.
Peter Smith
Goldfinch
Gingery-brown above and pale below, with black-and-yellow wings, a black crown, white cheeks and a red face.
Fergus Gill/2020VISION
Chaffinch
Males have blue-grey crowns, brown backs and pink breasts. Females are brown, with white shoulder patches and wingbars.
Mark Robinson
Great tit
Green above and yellow below, with a black head, white cheeks, and a black stripe down its breast.
Robin
Brown above, with a white belly and red breast. Juveniles are mottled gold and brown.
Bob Coyle
Long-tailed tit
Black, white and pink above, and pale pink below, with a long, black-and-white tail, a white head, and a broad, black stripe above the eye.
Other species that visit gardens include carrion crows, magpies, jackdaws, collared doves, dunnocks, wrens, song thrushes, greenfinches, coal tits, swifts, house martins, and green and great spotted woodpeckers. Find out more about these birds on our species explorer.
Which rarer birds might visit?
If you live close to countryside, you might find traditional farmland or woodland species visiting, particularly in winter when food is scarce. Look out for chiffchaffs, siskins, yellowhammers, bullfinches, nuthatches, treecreepers, lesser redpolls, tawny owls, sparrowhawks, jays, cuckoos, mistle thrushes, blackcaps, goldcrests and pied flycatchers.
Winter garden visitors may also include migrant bramblings, waxwings, redwings and fieldfares. If you have a pond in the garden, you might find herons and other waterbirds popping in.
How can I encourage birds to visit my garden?
Whether you have a small, city patch or acres of fields, you can encourage birds to visit your garden:
- Put out suitable food on a bird table and in feeders – even one that sticks to a window will do the trick!
- Birds eat different things: try seeds for sparrows and finches, fat balls for tits, and fruit and worms for thrushes and robins. As long as it’s not mouldy, you can also pop out leftovers like fruit cake, unsalted nuts, and over-ripe apples and pears.
- The amount of food you need to supply will vary depending on the season and weather; try to put out only what will get eaten, so there’s nothing left to go off.
- Don’t forget to provide fresh water (in a saucer or even a bin lid will do), and make sure you clean feeders and tables regularly to avoid disease.
- Provide places for birds to nest and rest safely by planting native trees and shrubs, or putting up nest boxes.
Cain Scringemour
How can I help birds?
The Wildlife Trusts manage many nature reserves for the benefit of all kinds of birds. By volunteering for your local Trust, you can help too!
Jon Hawkins - Surrey Hills Photography
Ben Hall/2020VISION
Celebrate your wild garden
Have you been taking steps to welcome wildlife into your garden? Let us know about your wild garden, and apply for your very own My Wild Garden award!