House sparrow
These are often seen in small flocks. Males have a grey crown, black bib, reddish-brown back streaked with black, and grey breast and belly, while females have brown, streaky backs and are buff below. They feed on seeds, grains and scraps on the ground and on bird tables. House sparrows also feed from nut feeders. House sparrows are sedentary, rarely moving more than two kilometres from their birthplace. ---------- Starling
Starlings are noisy characters usually seen foraging in small flocks. At a distance, starlings look black, but close up you can see they have green and purple, glossy feathers, covered in white and buff spots. Starlings feed on insects such as spiders, craneflies and leatherjackets. They will also feed in gardens from seed and nut feeders; they also probe into lawns for worms and grubs. In winter, migrant starlings from northern Europe join the resident birds and form huge flocks at regular roosts. ---------- Blackbird
The male blackbird is black with a bright yellow bill, while the female is brown with a mottled breast. Blackbirds have a long tail and often hop along the ground with their tail up. They feed on berries, scraps and apples, and search for worms on the lawn. In winter, migrant blackbirds from northern Europe join our resident birds. ---------- Blue tit
An agile bird, the blue tit is most often seen feeding on bird feeders. It is a small, sky blue and yellow bird with white cheeks and a dark eye stripe. Blue tits will feed on seeds and scraps from bird tables and feeders. In winter, family flocks of blue tits are joined by great tits, long-tailed tits and other woodland species, as they search for food. ---------- Chaffinch
The chaffinch is the UK’s second commonest breeding bird, and is arguably the most colourful of the UK's finches. Its patterned plumage helps it to blend in when feeding on the ground and it becomes most obvious when it flies, revealing a flash of white on the wings and white outer tail feathers. It does not feed openly on bird feeders - it prefers to hop about under the bird table or under the hedge. A chaffinch will usually be heard before being seen, with its loud song and varied calls. ---------- Greenfinch
The male is a green bird with yellow patches on the wings, a forked tail and a stout beak. The female is browner and may look like a female house sparrow until she flies and shows off the yellow in her tail and wings. Greenfinches feed on seeds and grain on the ground and on bird tables. They also feed from nut feeders. ---------- Collared dove
This dove is mainly buff coloured with a thin, black half collar, and a long, white tail with a black base. Collared doves originally came from southern Asia and spread from there to the extreme south-east of Europe. In the 1930s, they began a major expansion to the north and west. The species was first recorded in Britain in 1953 and has since become a common garden bird throughout Great Britain and Ireland. They feed on seeds and scraps, both on the ground and on bird tables. ---------- Woodpigeon
The UK's largest and commonest pigeon, it is largely grey with a white neck patch and white wing patches, clearly visible in flight. Although shy in the countryside it can be tame and approachable in towns and cities and was seen in 57 per cent of Big Garden Birdwatch gardens. Its cooing call is a familiar sound in woodlands as is the loud clatter of its wings when it flies away. The woodpigeon feeds on grain, seeds, scraps, berries, buds and is quite partial to crops like cabbages, sprouts and peas. ---------- Great Tit
Bigger than the blue tit, the great tit is green and yellow with a striking glossy black head, white cheeks and a distinctive two-syllable song. It is a woodland bird which has readily adapted to man-made habitats to become a familiar garden visitor. It feeds on seeds and scraps on the ground, on bird tables and from nut feeders. It can be quite aggressive at a birdtable, fighting off smaller tits. In winter, family flocks of great tits are joined by blue tits, long-tailed tits and other woodland species as they search for food. ---------- Robin
With its bright, orange-red breast, brown back and dumpy shape, the robin is a familiar garden bird. Robins are the only garden birds to sing throughout the winter, with both males and females holding winter territories. It is unusual to see more than two birds at a time, except in very cold weather. They feed on seeds, scraps, berries and insects, both on the ground and on the bird table. Some robins migrate from Europe to the UK. ---------- |
