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Get to know garden birds

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?

Two birds stand on a wooden table. One has a dark black bib under its chin and a chestnut brown back. The other is pale fawn brown in colour all over with a slightly darker brown eye stripe.

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!

Garden birds | a black bird with an orange bill stands on a log.

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.

Garden birds | a bird with a bright red face, pale chest and bright yellow splash of colour on its wings stands on top of a spiky teasel.

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.

A bird with a yellow bill and a shiny, iridescent chest stands on a wooden log.
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!

A small bird with a grey head and speckled brown body stands on a mossy stick.

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.

Garden birds | a small bird with a blue crest, yellow chest and green wings balances on a twig

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!

Garden birds | a bird with a white chest, black head and blue-green wing feathers stands on top of a log

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!

Garden birds | a bird with a orange-red breast stands on a log. It has a grey belly and brown wings and tail.

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!

An olive-green bird stands on a twig. It has a grey neck and upper wings, with a bright splash of yellow along the flight feathers.
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!

A small bird with a short, sticking up tail stands on a mossy branch. It has a plump yellow-brown chest and small head, with a dark brown eyestripe.

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.

Garden birds | a dark grey, crow-like bird stands on a log. It has blue eyes and a shiny paler grey face.

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!

A peachy brown bird stands on a muddy field. It has a black mark on its neck that looks a bit like a necklace, and a pale beak.
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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COMMENTS1

  • I see lots of birds in my garden.

  • #CatFan

    I think vultures and harpy eagles are cool

  • arbazela

    birds are amazingly fascinating!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Emma

    Our bird feeder has a woodpecker that comes to visit

  • liv

    super cool

  • We only have collard doves, house sparrows and blackbirds. Starlings are very pretty.

  • Hi

    I like the blue tit

  • cappkarin

    birds are cool i have lots of them in my garden

  • Mia527

    I LOVE ALL BIRDS ESPECIALLY Budgies!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Mia Meng (age 8

    My favourite bird is a budgie!!!

  • Alex

    A Robin always visits my garden!

  • Love animals

    Jackdaw is my fav

  • starling

  • bird watcher

    I LOVE BIRDS SO MUCH

  • holly

    i have blue tits in my garden!!!!!!!!!!

  • blue tits are my favrouite

  • Lottiestar2013

    i love birds!!!!!!!!

  • Florence

    I love the Robbins

  • Arthur

    Starlings, magpies and jackdaws

  • Sofea

    I Love everybird exept Jackdaw,Starling,Goldfinch,Green finch,House sparow,Blue tit and Magpie.(sorry for Starling and Blue tit!)

  • Sofea

    I really Love the Robin.its the cutest bird ive ever seen Nat Geo...

  • Sophia Anna

    I like the blue tit and the robin. They are very cute and colourful!

  • bobb

    i like canarys as well as th blue tit

  • Ava

    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

  • faith brown

    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!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Anna

    Love them all! They are soooooooo cute!

  • salma

    i like house sparrow

  • smartie

    birds are my fauvouriteeee

  • Kaleb

    i love sparrow

  • My favourite is the starling too! its looks so cool(◕ᴥ◕)

  • Maisie

    My favourite garden birds are Robins, blue tits, wrens and female blackbirds.

  • Joshyjoejoe

    I love the magpie Its cuter than all of the birds and i like robins

  • matthew

    I liked the Wren

  • Senujana

    I mostly love the Blue Tit

  • Emma

    My favourite is the starling. It looks so shiny!

  • Elaina

    Robin

  • i love birds now thanks

  • Isaria

    I love the robins.They are sooooooooooo cute.

  • Rose

    Great spotted woodpecker

  • rose

    I loved it

  • Irene Nivil

    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!!

  • Bryan

    So good

  • Annabelle

    I love it so much.

  • Elsie

    The Robbin

  • Caleb

    Good

  • Mia

    All the birds are sooo pretty.i can't choose my favorite!!

  • Anonymous

    Love it!

  • OliversWorldOfficial

    Birds are so cool and amazing!

  • Florence

    Wow!

  • Animals are the best

  • Scarlet

    I love birds!

  • I love this

  • Ru huxly preston

    I have magpies in my garden.

  • ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLI

    i love birds especially robin and blue tit

  • Elsie

    Amazing sooooooooooooooooooo Cool

  • JJ

    I love robins:)

  • Kevin

    I love goldfinches

  • nusaybah

    I love birds and a robin is my favourite bird but i also like blue tits.

  • the wren is soooooooo cute!

  • bergasa rider

    we love birds

  • I love birds

    I like the gold chaffinch

  • User badge

  • A

    I love this! It's so interesting and helps kids learn about nature. Thanks Nat Geo.

  • grace

    robin is my favourite bird

  • Amazing!

  • Sophia Wright

    I love birds!

  • kosi

    i want to be a scienist and this can help me

  • leia

    My favourite bird is a bluetit.

  • User badge

  • Sarah Kate

    My favourite bird is a Robin and I sometimes get confused whether it’s tummy is red or orange!

  • Charlie

    Epic birds!!

  • User badge

  • ARIA

    I LOVE THE BLUE TIT

  • User badge

  • Yo

    Robin

  • leo

    I LOVE birds SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much!!!!!!!

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