Each year, hundreds of thousands of people across the UK fill up their bird feeders, pick up their binoculars and watch each bird visiting their gardens, balconies or windowsills for the annual Big Garden Birdwatch.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) runs what it says is the world’s largest garden wildlife survey annually to encourage people to record how many of each species of birds they see over a period of three days.
Over a million people joined the Birdwatching in 2021, a record-breaking figure for the RSPB, as wildlife enthusiasts searched for ways to connect to nature while under lockdown.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Big Garden Birdwatch and how you can take part:
What is the Big Garden Birdwatch?
The RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch is a wildlife survey that invites members of the public to count the birds that visit their gardens and report their results to RSPB.
The recorded results provide a snapshot of the UK’s bird population each winter, which helps experts monitor and determine how the birds are faring across the country.
When is the Big Garden Birdwatch?
This year, the Big Garden Birdwatch is taking place from Friday 28 January to Sunday 30 January.
Who can take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch?
Anyone can become a participant in the Big Garden Birdwatch, which is a free and voluntary activity. You do not have to be a member of the RSPB or donate to the charity in order to take part.
The RSPB encourages anyone who wants to take part to sign up on its website, but you can still report your results online if you didn’t sign up.
How do I take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch?
Over the course of Friday 28 January to Sunday 30 January, all you need to do is spend one hour each day watching and counting the birds that visit your garden or balcony.
Keep a record of how many of each species of bird you spot. A guide to help you identify 407 species of birds found in the UK can be found on the RSPB website.
After you finish birdwatching, you can send your results to the RSPB via their online survey, which can be found here.
How can I get more birds to visit?
The charity has provided a three-point plan to make your garden as attractive to birds as possible.
Their top tips include cleaning your bird tables and feeders and washing them with a five per cent disinfectant solution or warm soapy water.
This should be done every week or each time the feeder needs to be replenished, to keep them clean and prevent disease from spreading.
You should also put out some clean, fresh water which the birds can drink or bathe with. This is especially important during the winter when natural supplies of water may be frozen.
Lastly, the RSPB recommends putting out a variety of food to increase the number of species that will visit. Small seeds attract house sparrows, dunnocks and finches, while sunflower seeds are a firm favourite among blue tits, great tits and greenfinches.
What are the most common garden birds?
Last year, the Big Garden Birdwatch showed house sparrows were the most common species seen in gardens, followed by blue tits and starlings.
Some other common garden visitors include blackbirds and robins, but these have fallen significantly in number since 1979.
Others such as wood pigeons and coal tits have significantly increased in number, past surveys have suggested.
