Millions of gardens across the United Kingdom are visited by a beautiful range of birds, from starlings and robins to wood pigeons and goldfinches. These garden birds visit our properties in search of both shelter and sustenance on a regular basis, with many of us offering them both.
Feeding your feathered friends can be one of the simplest ways to interact with nature offering an enjoyable and rewarding experience. With increased development, many species of birds once common in the UK are experiencing decline. Helping bolster the bird population of the UK is a worthwhile pursuit and if you set up a bird feeder in your garden, you’ll be sure to see some visitors arrive.
Providing food for birds at times of the year when it’s scarce is important, but the best practice to feed them all year round so they know where to come when the colder months arrive. When the temperature drops, birds must use their energy to stay warm which means they can’t explore as far in search of sustenance. By offering them food in your garden, you can help them through times of hardship.
All gardens will attract different kinds of birds depending on the plants they contain, but the more versatile the food you offer on your table and feeder (perhaps including bird treats), the more diverse your winged visitors will be.
Below are some of the many species who may grace your garden throughout the year.
Robin
Regular sightings of robins in UK gardens are common but always welcome. Known for their song they perch on prominent branches right through winter claiming their territory. Nests are known to appear in the most unusual places including old wellington boots and plant pots, although shrubs and ivy are their first choice found in nature. Easily identified by their red breasts, white bellies and brown patches on wings, back and head, robins don’t possess their famous scarlet markings when young, appearing a mottled brown and gold.
Goldfinch
Small in stature but always striking, the goldfinch can be a regular at feeders and bird tables when it’s not pecking small seeds and dandelions or unearthing invertebrates for its breakfast. While some UK goldfinches will migrate to southern Spain for winter, others will attend our gardens in search of nourishment. Easy to spot, these small colourful creatures feature wing markings in black and yellow, bright white cheeks, and bright red feathers on their face beneath a black crown. Pale below, they’re gingery brown on the top.
Blackbird
A stalwart of the British garden, the blackbirds is renowned for its melodious song. These sun worshippers love to feast on earthworms but are equally fond of berries and fruit put out for them. While males are black with a distinctive eye ring and beak in yellow, fully-fledged females are a soft brown with lighter streaks on their breasts. Their bills are duller in comparison but no less lovely, presented in a warm yellow-brown tone.
Woodpigeon
The UK’s most common and plumpest pigeon, the woodpigeon is well practiced at attending bird tables across the country. Known for their throaty cooing call, these birds are often heard long before they’re seen in our gardens. While they resemble the feral pigeon and stock dove, woodpigeons can be singled out by their pink breasts, white wing patches seen in flight and another white patch at the neck.
House sparrow
The opportunistic house sparrow is fond of visiting gardens and parks in cities and towns in search of a snack. Happy to dwell in building crevices and nests in ivy bushes, they typically live in colonies. Featuring brown streaky feathers above with grey beneath, male house sparrows are decorated with chestnut wings emblazoned with wing bars in white. A grey cap adorns their heads, below which rests a black bib. Juveniles and females are all brown. Tree sparrows are very similar to house sparrows but can be differentiated by a black spot on both their cheeks and a brown crown.
Starling
Beautiful to behold, starlings arrive often in our UK gardens. Celebrated for their aerial displays in wintertime, these birds can be seen over farmland and towns flying in immense flocks. With their stunning black feathers glimmering with a green and purple sheen, they are quite unmistakable. In winter their feathers feature minute beige spotting. Fond of fruit, they’ll be sure to drop by for dinner if you add some to your feeder and they’re in the area.
Long-tailed tit
Inhabitants of hedgerows and woodland, these tiny birds are also attracted to gardens and parks seeking nutrition. The long-tailed tit will happily visit feeders and bird tables at your home and is easily recognised by its exceptional markings and dimensions. Their tails are longer in length than their bodies and feature contrasting black and white feathers. Heads of these small birds are white and they present a black eye stripe. Their bellies are a soft pink with white, black and pink markings on their back.
Rare birds
Depending where you live, you might find most distinguished and unusual avian visitors in your grounds. If living close to open countryside owning a garden with trees, a heart shaped barn owl or wandering pheasant isn’t unheard of. If your property has a pond or watercourse flowing through it, you may be graced by a stately heron or other wading birds looking for a home from home.
Always remember when setting up a feeder to be mindful of where you station it. Keep it away from your windows to avoid unnecessary accidents, and far back from areas of undergrowth or natural cover. Predators such as house cats will use these areas to stalk and hunt your garden birds, so to keep them free from harm, always choose an open location. For the safety of you and your visiting birds, always keep your feeder clean. Get rid of any unwanted mouldy food and clear up dropping immediately to ensure it stays hygienic.
For the best selection of birds visiting your garden this year, pick a varied mix for their meals. These can be easily purchased here at Burleydam.
