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Birds to look out for in your Big Garden Birdwatch

The birds we see in our gardens, from our balconies, and in our parks, are a lively, colourful and endlessly fascinating part of all our lives. Here are some of the birds you might see during your Big Garden Birdwatch.

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Blackbird

Male Blackbirds live up to their name but, confusingly, females are brown, often with spots and streaks on their breasts.

Blue Tit

A colourful mix of blue, yellow, white and green makes Blue Tits one of our most attractive and most recognisable garden visitors.

Chaffinch

Male Chaffinches have a subtle pink breast, while females are more brownish. They both have distinctive black and white flashes on their wings.

Coal Tit

Not as colourful as some of their relatives, the Coal Tits have a distinctive grey back, black cap, and white patch at the back of its neck.

Collared Dove

Collared Doves are a pale, pinky-brown grey colour, with a distinctive black neck collar (as the name suggests). They also have deep red eyes.

Dunnock

A small brown and grey bird. Quiet and unobtrusive, Dunnocks are often seen on its own, moving with a rather nervous, shuffling gait.

Goldfinch

A brightly-coloured finch with a red face and yellow wing patch. Goldfinches have a delightful liquid twittering song and call.

Great Tit

The largest UK tit is green and yellow with a striking glossy black and white head. These woodland birds have found that our gardens offer plenty of food.

Greenfinch

Its twittering and wheezing song, and flash of yellow and green as it flies, makes Greenfinches a truly colourful character.

House Sparrow

Everyone knows the House Sparrow. but their numbers have dropped alarmingly. Males have a black chin and 'bib'.

Long-tailed Tit

Long-tailed Tits are easily recognisable with their distinctive colouring, a tail that is longer than their body, and a bouncy flight.

Magpie

With their noisy chattering, black-and-white plumage and long tail, there's nothing else quite like the Magpie in the UK.

Robin

The UK's favourite bird. With their bright red breast Robins are familiar throughout the year - especially at Christmas! Males and females look identical.

Starling

Smaller than Blackbirds, with a short tail, pointy head and wings, Starlings look black at a distance but they are very glossy with a sheen of purple.

Woodpigeon

The UK's largest and commonest Pigeon. They are largely grey with a white neck patch and white wing patches, clearly visible in flight.

A Blue Tit perched on a branch slightly covered in snow, in the winter. — Blue Tit

Why Birdwatch matters

With birds and other wildlife now facing so many challenges due to the nature and climate emergency, every count matters. Learn how some of our most well-known species have fared since Birdwatch began in 1979.

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