A who's who of garden birds
Learn to recognise and identify some of our most common garden visitors and how you can support them, along with fun facts that will have you seeing your favourite birds in a whole new light
In the UK, we love our garden birds. It’s estimated that Britain is home to 4.7 million nest boxes, and that 48% of us put out food for the wild birds that visit our gardens.
Appreciation for our feathered visitors has potential to help them in their time of need. Almost half of UK bird species are in decline, and bird numbers are down by 73 million – almost a third – since 1970. Data from community surveys is key to their conservation.
However, watching birds also brings documented benefits for our own wellbeing, too – including reducing anxiety and giving a sense of being connected to nature. It’s even been scientifically recommended for nursing homes on account of its health benefits.
Taking part in the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch, which runs every year in late January, is a great way to take an hour for wellbeing during what can be a less nature-connected time of year, while contributing vital data to help inform the conservation of our garden birds.
- The 2025 Big Garden Birdwatch is taking place on 24-26 January. Take part >
Here are some of the most common birds to look out for in your garden.
Blue tit
With a diet of insects, caterpillars, seeds and nuts, when not on the peanut feeder, blue tits can often be spotted picking aphids and caterpillars off trees, helping to maintain the healthy plants that come with a balanced garden ecosystem. A nestbox with a 25mm entrance hole will be perfect for these small birds.
Great tit
Caterpillars aren’t such a favourite menu item but they’re still into insects, seeds and nuts, and can be readily attracted with a peanut feeder. If you’d like to provide housing for great tits in your garden, try a nestbox with a 28mm or 32mm hole.
Blackbird
Feeding mainly on worms and caterpillars, blackbirds are often seen hopping about on lawns, occasionally tilting their head towards the ground to listen for worms beneath the surface. You can encourage blackbirds by offering fruit or mealworms on a ground feeding tray.
Sadly, blackbirds are under threat from a new mosquito-borne virus, which has caused a rapid population decline. You can help by trying to avoid stagnant water in your garden (water in bird baths should be changed at least every few days), and by taking part in the British Trust for Ornithology’s blackbird survey from May.
Goldfinch
House sparrow
As the name suggests, these classic small brown birds love to breed on and around houses, such as under the eaves. House sparrows are highly sociable birds, often nesting in colonies and travelling in flocks. They are also bold and opportunistic, living closely alongside humans and often flitting down to scavenge crumbs from café seating areas – often while there are still people at the table.
However, house sparrows have undergone alarming declines in recent decades, particularly in urban areas. According to RSPB data, house sparrow populations in London fell by nearly two thirds just between 1994 and 2004. You can encourage house sparrows by providing nest boxes (they enjoy living in groups in a terraced nest box or sparrow flats) and mealworms – a high-protein insect diet gives chicks the best chance.
Robin
Robins are fiercely territorial and very bold, so will often approach humans – picking up worms after a gardener or even taking food from a hand – but except when paired for the breeding season, it will usually be one robin at a time owing to strong rivalry between individuals. A robin’s diet is made up of worms, seeds, fruits, insects and other invertebrates, but if you wish to provide food, they are particularly partial to mealworms. Robins also prefer an open-fronted nest box.