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| SEE
ALSO |
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RSPB
Big Garden Birdwatch
Find out more about this annual event
BBC
Nature - Birds
The official BBC website for our feathered friends
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| WEB
LINKS |
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RSPB
Birdwatch site
Official site for the campaign from the RSPB
Northumberland Wildlife Trust
The
BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.
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| FACTS |
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No
garden? Fasten a feeder to a window with suction cups – brings
the birds even closer. Don’t throw away bruised apples and
pears – put them out for the birds.
Making
a fruit Christmas cake? Spare a few raisins, sultanas and
currants for birds.
Birds
need water for drinking and bathing – buy a bird bath or use
a shallow dish or inverted metal dustbin lid.
Find
a place for a garden compost heap – a great way to recycle
the nutrients in the garden and provide a frost-free area
where birds can feed.
Hard
cheese? Don’t bin it – crumble it in the garden for wrens
to enjoy. Put out any leftovers of cooked rice and spaghetti
and any uncooked pastry – they’re all rich in starch and will
keep garden birds occupied!
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| PRINT
THIS PAGE |
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a printable
version of this page. |
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| BIRD
PROFILES |
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Blackbird
"Highly territorial..." |
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Blue
Tit
"Agile birds which forage in the canopy..." |
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Chaffinch
"Usually search for food on the ground..." |
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Collared
Dove
"First came to Britain in 1953..." |
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Great
Tit
"Live in family groups for a short time..." |
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Greenfinch
"Sociable
and often found in small flocks..." |
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Robin
"It is unusual to see two robins together" |
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Song
Thrush
"Known to smash snails against rocks" |
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Starling
"Noisy and aggressive birds..." |
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Wren
"Tiny, dumpy, secretive bird" |
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House
Sparrow
"Sparrows are sociable and outgoing..." |
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Wood
Pigeon
"Many farmers consider them to be pests" |
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Dunnock
"Creeps around under bushes like a mouse"
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Starling
Hear
the Starling's call |
| Notes |
Starlings
are noisy and aggressive birds usually seen foraging in small
flocks. Starlings are one of the most familiar birds in city
areas, gathering in large numbers (sometimes millions) to feed
and to roost in buildings or trees. |
| Appearance |
At
a distance they look black, but on closer examination they have
green and purple glossy feathers covered in white spots. |
| Food |
Starlings
feed on scraps, seeds and from nut feeders; they also probe
into lawns for worms and grubs. |
| Migration |
In
winter, migrant Starlings from northern Europe join the resident
birds. |
| Call |
Starlings
are highly vocal and both males and females sing. Their song
is a chattering, whistling chorus, but they have many other
calls and often mimic other birds and sounds. |
Back
to menu ^
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House
sparrow
House
sparrow's call |
| Notes |
Sparrows
are sociable and outgoing, and are often found in small flocks.
Communal roosts are important for them. They are typically found
living near humans - city centres, parks, gardens, farms and
fields. |
| Appearance |
Males
have a grey crown, black bib and reddish-brown back streaked
with black. The breast and belly is grey. Females have brown
streaky backs and are buff below. |
| Food |
They
feed on seeds, grains and scraps on the ground and on bird tables.
House sparrows also feed from nut feeders. |
| Migration |
House
Sparrows are sedentary, rarely moving two kilometres from their
birthplace |
| Call |
They
emit a series of chirps and twitters, strung together as a rudimentary
song. |
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to menu ^
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Blue
Tit |
| Notes |
Agile
birds, Blue Tits forage for food in the tree canopy, although
they do spend some time on the ground searching for food, especially
in the winter.
Males are generally monogamous although some have been recorded
breeding with two females. |
| Appearance |
Small,
sky blue and yellow with white cheeks and a dark eye stripe.
Blue Tits will feed on seeds and scraps on bird tables and the
ground. |
| Food |
The
Blue Tit is often seen feeding on bird feeders. |
| Migration |
In
winter, family flocks of Blue Tits are joined by Great Tits,
Long-tailed Tits and other woodland species as they search for
food. |
| Call |
Blue
Tits have a range of calls, including 'seeseedu' and 'cherrrr-errr-err',
but the song is a cheerful 'tsee-tsee-tsu-tsuhuhu'. |
Back
to menu ^
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Blackbird
Hear
the Blackbird's call |
| Notes |
Blackbirds
have a long tail and often hop along the ground with their tail
up. They spend a lot of time on the ground searching for food,
but they sing from a prominent perch. They are highly territorial
during the breeding season. |
| Appearance |
The
male Blackbird has a bright yellow bill, while the female is
brown with a mottled breast. |
| Food |
They
feed on berries, scraps and apples, and search for worms on
the lawn. |
| Migration |
In
winter, migrant Blackbirds from northern europe join the resident
birds. |
| Call |
Blackbirds
are noisy birds, especially during roosting time when they emit
a loud 'dik-dik-dik'. They have a loud and pleasing warbling
flute-like song and a noisy chatter when disturbed. |
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to menu ^
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Chaffinch |
| Notes |
Chaffinches
usually search for food on the ground but also in trees. They
fly in an undulating manner. |
| Appearance |
Both
male and female Chaffinches have black and white wings, and
a green rump. The male has a pinky face and breast and a blue
crown, while the female is a sandy brown. |
| Food |
Seeds
and grain. |
| Migration |
In
winter, migrant Chaffinches from Scandinavia and Northern Europe
join the resident birds. |
| Call |
The
commonest call-note is a metallic 'pink, pink' and the cheerful
song varies in dialect according to its region. |
Back
to menu ^
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Greenfinch |
| Notes |
Sociable
and often found in small flocks. They roost communally in hedgerows. |
| Appearance |
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. |
| Food |
Greenfinches
feed on seeds and grain on the ground and on bird tables. They
also feed from nut feeders. |
| Migration |
In
winter, family flocks of similar similar species such as Yellowhammers
and Sparrows search for food. |
| Call |
Greenfinches
emit bell-like trills and chirrups, as well as a nasal 'tswee'
and 'chi-chi-chi-chit' flight call. |
Back
to menu ^
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Robin
Hear
the Robin's call |
| Notes |
It
is unusual to see more than two Robins at a time, except in
very cold weather. Although shy birds over much of their range,
Robins have learnt to make use of gardeners in Britain and watch
the owners as they dig up their gardens. Robins are notoriously
aggressive towards each other. They will even attack a bundle
of red feathers or their own reflection, mistaking it for another
individual. |
| Appearance |
With
its bright, orange-red breast, brown back and dumpy shape, the
robin is a familiar garden bird. |
| Food |
They
feed on seeds, scraps, berries and insects, both on the ground
and on the bird table. |
| Migration |
Some
Robins migrate from Europe to the UK. |
| Call |
Robins
have a rich and warbling song, sometimes described as mournful
in winter but cheerful in spring. Other calls include a thin
'seee' and a hard 'tic-tic-tic' |
Back
to menu ^
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Great
Tit |
| Notes |
Great
Tits live in family groups for a short time after breeding,
and then join mixed flocks of other species in the late summer
and through to spring. |
| Appearance |
Bigger
than the Blue Tit, the great tit has a black and white head,
bright yellow breast with a bold, black strip running down it,
and a green back. The black breast stripe is wider on the male. |
| Food |
They
feed on seeds and scraps on the ground, on bird tables and from
nut feeders. |
| Migration |
In
winter, family flocks of great tits are joined by Blue Tits,
Long-tailed Tits and other woodland species as they search for
food. |
| Call |
Great
Tits have a wide range of loud calls (more than 80 have been
recorded), including a distinctive 'teacher, teacher' song. |
Back
to menu ^
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Collared
Dove |
| Notes |
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. |
| Appearance |
This
dove is mainly duff coloured with a thin, black half-collar
and a long, white tail with a black base. |
| Food |
They
feed on seeds and scraps, both on the ground and on bird tables. |
| Call |
The
call is a monotonous 'coo-COO-cUK'. |
Back
to menu ^
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Wood
Pigeon |
| Notes |
Wood
Pigeons are the largest of the pigeon family. Many farmers consider
wood pigeons to be pests due to their habit of raiding crops.
The birds often feed in large flocks where abundant food is
available. |
| Appearance |
They
have a small, round, grey head, greyish back, tail and wings
with a pink breast and white neck patch. In flight they have
distinctive white wing patches and the tail has a dark band
at the end. |
| Food |
Wood
Pigeons feed on grain, seeds and scraps and on berries and buds. |
| Call |
Their
song sounds like 'coo-coo-coo, coo-coo'. |
Back
to menu ^
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Dunnock |
| Notes |
A
small, easily overlooked bird, the dunnock creeps around under
bushes in a mouse-like way. |
| Appearance |
It
has a brown back with black markings and a grey face and breast.
It has a slender beak, which it uses to catch its insect and
spider food. |
| Food |
Insects
and spiders |
| Migration |
Dunnocks
are sedentary, rarely moving more than one kilometre from their
birthplace |
| Call |
A piercing peep, song is a high, pleasant warble. |
Back
to menu ^
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Wren |
| Notes |
Tiny,
dumpy, secretive bird that searches for food under bushes or
near the ground. |
| Appearance |
Mostly
rusty-brown with pale bars, and a short, cocked tail. |
| Food |
Worms
and grubs, but occaisionally feeds from bird tables. |
| Migration |
Like
Dunnocks, Wrens are sedentary. |
| Call |
A
gurgling, bubbling, exuberant song and kit-kit. |
Back
to menu ^
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Song
Thrush |
| Notes |
The
Song Thrush is known to smash snails against rocks in order
to remove their shells. The rocks are called "snail anvils"
by birdwatchers. |
| Appearance |
Smaller
than a Blackbird, with brown upperparts and a spotted breast. |
| Food |
Their
favourite food is a mixture of breadcrumbs, cheese and dried
fruit. But as soon as an aggressive blackbird sweeps into position
the ever-timid thrush disappears. |
| Migration |
Although
most song thrushes stay here throughout the year, some migrate
south for the winter, to be temporarily replaced by arrivals
from Northern Europe. |
| Call |
Loud
clear song characterised by repetition of short phrases. |
Back
to menu ^
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