The types of birds that visit your garden are determined by the size of local bird populations, where in the country you live, the time of year, the prevailing weather conditions and, finally, how much encouragement you give them in the way of readily available bird food.
Birds you’ll see in the greatest numbers
With an estimated population of eleven million breeding pairs, the tiny brown wren is likely to be one of the most regular visitors to your garden. Rather shy and charmingly plump, there are more wrens than any other garden bird in the UK.
You likely won’t be surprised to learn that robins make up the next largest population, with over seven million pairs, as their distinctive red breasts make them easy to spot and they can be surprisingly tame. Numbers of sparrows, wood pigeons, chaffinches and blackbirds are high too, with over five million pairs of each.
Birds you’ll spot regularly
The cooing of collared doves might be a familiar sound, and you’ll more than likely to see a great tit, blue tit, coal tit or long-tailed tit searching for food. Starlings are regular visitors too, as are chestnut-coloured sparrows.
Larger birds that appear often in our gardens are noisy, boisterous magpies, large black crows, and their cousin the jay, which is recognised by its lovely, blue-tinged side feathers. Dunnocks are widespread too, but tend to be shy and nervous of humans.
For flashes of vibrant colour, look out for the goldfinch, which has a red face and lovely yellow wing feathers. The greenfinch is another colourful bird commonly seen in our gardens, and your smallest visitor might be the delightfully tiny goldcrest, identifiable by its diminutive size and the black and yellow stripe on its head.
Happy bird watching!
