People are being urged to spend an hour this weekend counting the birds in their garden, park or local green space for the world’s largest survey of garden wildlife.
More than 9m birds were counted last year by 600,000 participants in the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch, providing a vital snapshot of how wild birds are faring.
This year’s survey will reveal whether the recent cold spell across Britain has adversely affected numbers, particularly of smaller birds such as long-tailed tits and wrens, which struggle in prolonged cold.
Winter migrants are also likely to be recorded, with fieldfares and redwings – large, colourful thrushes – visiting Britain from Scandinavia to find alternative sources of food.
“At its heart, Big Garden Birdwatch is an opportunity for people to spend an hour watching, enjoying, and connecting with the wildlife on their doorstep,” said Beccy Speight, the chief executive of the RSPB. “From chirpy house sparrows to acrobatic blue tits, the entertaining antics of our garden birds can brighten even the dullest day and bring a welcome dose of nature into our everyday lives.
“By taking part in the Birdwatch, you and hundreds of thousands of other nature lovers across the UK, play an important role in helping us understand how garden birds are doing. With the nature and climate emergency threatening even our most familiar birds, every count matters.”
The long-running survey, which began in 1979, has tracked important declines in some species, including the song thrush, starling and house sparrow. The house sparrow has topped the garden birdwatch charts for 21 years in a row but the average number of the birds spotted in gardens since the count began has fallen by 60%. There are 38m fewer birds in British skies than half a century ago.
