Get to know garden birds
Which of these feathered friends visits YOUR garden?
Birds are all around us – but how much do you really know about them? Grab your binoculars and head outside, gang, because we’re meeting some of the UK’s most popular garden birds…
House sparrow
These noisy birds often visit gardens in small flocks. Found in towns and cities, parks and farmland, they eat buds, grains, nuts and scraps. Males (left) have black bibs – and the bigger the bib, the more dominant he’ll be in the flock. Can you tell who’s boss?
Blackbird
Male blackbirds live up to their name but, confusingly, females are brown! Often seen hopping around on lawns and foraging in leaf litter under hedges, they like to sing after it’s been raining. Look out for the male’s bright orange-yellow beak and eye-ring!
Goldfinch
Their long beaks mean goldfinches can extract seeds from thistles and teasels. If you’re lucky, you may be visited by a small flock of them, known as a ‘charm‘. Cute! Listen out for their trilling call.
Starling
From a distance, these birds look black, but up close they’re all glossy with a sheen of purple and green. Fancy! Starlings spend lots of time in flocks – they’re known for the stunning shapes (called murmurations) they make while flying together.
TOP TIP!
Encourage more birds to your garden or balcony with a bird feeder, nest box and water bowl!
Dunnock
Sweet, mouse-like dunnocks like to creep under bushes searching for their insect and spider prey. Often one female will breed with two males so that she has double the help feeding chicks!
Blue tit
Back when milk was delivered to doorsteps, blue tits were famous for following milkmen around. They would peck through the foil bottle tops and sneak sips of cream! Usually they eat insects, seeds and nuts.
Magpie
Noisy magpies are jacks-of-all-trades – scavengers, predators and garden-pest gobblers. During spring, they raid the nests of songbirds for eggs and young. Eek!
Robin
You can’t miss the bright red breast of this bold little bird. Males and females are identical, and they sing nearly all year round. Despite their cute appearance, feisty robins will aggressively defend their territory from intruders. Yikes!
Greenfinch
This colourful character has a twittering, wheezing song, and can be identified by the splash of yellow and green as it flies. The female looks browner but once she flies off you’ll spot the yellow in her tail and wings. Watch for them squabbling over food with other birds!
Seeing and hearing birds is good for our mental wellbeing, according to a study from Kings College London!
Wren
For such a teeny bird, the insect-gobbling wren has a remarkably loud voice. The brown birds roost together to conserve heat on cold winter nights. The record number seen in one nest box is 63. Wow!
Jackdaw
Meet the smallest member of the crow family! You can tell them apart from ravens, rooks and crows by the grey patch on the back of their necks and their pale, blue eyes.
Collared dove
Originally from southern Asia, these birds were first recorded in Britain in 1953. Now, thanks to their ability to breed year-round, they’re very common. They won’t win any prizes for their nest-building, though – often it’s just a flimsy platform of twigs in a tree!
Every year in January, the RSPB organises a huge bird survey that everyone can take part in! All you need to do is head outside and count birds for one hour, to help scientists work out how well they’re doing. Find out more on their website!
What are your favourite garden birds? Let us know in the comments below!
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COMMENTS
I see lots of birds in my garden.
I think vultures and harpy eagles are cool
birds are amazingly fascinating!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Our bird feeder has a woodpecker that comes to visit
super cool
We only have collard doves, house sparrows and blackbirds. Starlings are very pretty.
I like the blue tit
birds are cool i have lots of them in my garden
I LOVE ALL BIRDS ESPECIALLY Budgies!!!!!!!!!!!
My favourite bird is a budgie!!!
A Robin always visits my garden!
Jackdaw is my fav
starling
I LOVE BIRDS SO MUCH
i have blue tits in my garden!!!!!!!!!!
blue tits are my favrouite
i love birds!!!!!!!!
I love the Robbins
Starlings, magpies and jackdaws
I Love everybird exept Jackdaw,Starling,Goldfinch,Green finch,House sparow,Blue tit and Magpie.(sorry for Starling and Blue tit!)
I really Love the Robin.its the cutest bird ive ever seen Nat Geo...
I like the blue tit and the robin. They are very cute and colourful!
i like canarys as well as th blue tit
I love all of them soooooo much but if I had to choose it would have to be the Starling but I have to admit the robin is pretty cute. I also like wrens skylarks and kingfishers
I love blue tit,s there soooooooo cute and i love pigeons and i know there not on the article but i stil love them so much becose they come to my front and back garden up in scotland!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love birds a lot!!!!!!!!!!!
Love them all! They are soooooooo cute!
i like house sparrow
birds are my fauvouriteeee
i love sparrow
My favourite is the starling too! its looks so cool(◕ᴥ◕)
My favourite garden birds are Robins, blue tits, wrens and female blackbirds.
I love the magpie Its cuter than all of the birds and i like robins
I liked the Wren
I mostly love the Blue Tit
My favourite is the starling. It looks so shiny!
Robin
i love birds now thanks
I love the robins.They are sooooooooooo cute.
Great spotted woodpecker
I loved it
These birds are sooo cute! Thanks for the information, it was really helpful because I have so many birds in my garden and i can't identify them all!!
So good
I love it so much.
The Robbin
Good
All the birds are sooo pretty.i can't choose my favorite!!
Love it!
Birds are so cool and amazing!
Wow!
Animals are the best
I love birds!
I love this
I have magpies in my garden.
i love birds especially robin and blue tit
Amazing sooooooooooooooooooo Cool
I love robins:)
I love goldfinches
I love birds and a robin is my favourite bird but i also like blue tits.
the wren is soooooooo cute!
we love birds
I like the gold chaffinch
I love this! It's so interesting and helps kids learn about nature. Thanks Nat Geo.
robin is my favourite bird
Amazing!
I love birds!
i want to be a scienist and this can help me
My favourite bird is a bluetit.
My favourite bird is a Robin and I sometimes get confused whether it’s tummy is red or orange!
Epic birds!!
I LOVE THE BLUE TIT
Robin
I LOVE birds SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much!!!!!!!
CUSTOMIZE YOUR AVATAR