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ALTERNATIVE LIVING FOR GARDEN BIRDS
Garden Birds
There are many ways to encourage birds into your garden, providing regular food andwater, a cosy shelter and careful planting can have a huge impact on the numbers and
species found. Identifying garden birds can be tricky at first, their shape, size, markings,
colour, song and even the way that they fly all help to tell them apart. Below are some of
the most common visitors to look out for.
- House Sparrow
- Blackbird
- Blue tit
- Wren
- Magpie
- Song Thrush
- Jackdaw
- Crow
- Dunnock
- Tree Sparrow
- Coal tit
- Great tit
- Robin
- Long tailed tit
- Starling
House sparrow
House sparrows are often seen in small flocks. Males have a grey crown, black front, reddishbrown back with black
streaks, and a grey breast and belly. Females have brown,
backs with streaks.
Length: 14 cm Voice: Lively Chirp.
Blackbird
Male Blackbirds are black and have a bright yellow bill,
Females are 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.
Length: 25.5cm Voice: ‘Tchink, tchink, tchink’...
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Blue tit
The Blue tit is most often seen feeding on bird feeders. A small blue and yellow bird with whitecheeks and a dark eye stripe.
In winter, family flocks of blue tits are joined by Great tits,Long-tailed tits and other woodland species as they search for food. Length: 11.5cm Voice: A high ‘tsee-tsee’ followed by a trill. Top
Wren
Tiny in size with russet-brown colouring, a plump stumpy shape with its tail usually cocked.They have a very loud trilling song, and can be heard throughout the year.
Found anywhere there is low cover - woods, hedges,
gardens, scrub, sea-cliffs, mountains and reedbeds.
Length: 9.5cm Voice: ‘tit-tit-tit...tserr’.
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Magpie
Although black and white in appearance close up a subtle blue and green sheen can be seen.Often seen in pairs or small groups, they are quite noisy birds with a harsh, chattering call.
They feed on scraps, and are quite aggressive towards
other birds.
Length: 46cm Voice: ‘chak - chak - chak’
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Song Thrush
The Song Thrush is smaller than the Blackbird and is less upright when standing.Both maleand female birds are similar with warm brown
upper parts, light underparts with dark specks and a tinge of golden brown on the breast. The breast is almost white underneath. They have relatively large eyes, and pale pink legs. They have a brown bill. Length: 23cm Voice: ‘tchuck...tchuck’... Top
Jackdaw
The Jackdaw is our smallest crow - smaller than a Carrion Crow or Rook. Like Crows,Jackdaws are inquisitive and intelligent birds.
Jackdaws are mainly black apart from their nape and shoulders which are grey, they have very light eyes.The bill and legs are black. Length: 33cm Voice: A clear ‘chak’ or ‘kya’ Top
Crow
The Crow is about the same size as a Rook, it has neatly feathered thighs, and feathersaround the base of
its beak. On closer inspection its plumage has a green
and purple iridescence. Males and females are similar in colour. Length: 47cm Voice: ‘kraa’ or ‘keerk’ Top
Dunnock
The Dunnock is a small bird, often seen under bushes or concealed in thicket. It has a brownback with
black markings with a grey face. It has a slender beak,
which it uses to catch insects, spiders and larvae. Length:14.5cm Voice: A high pitched ‘tseep’ Top
Tree sparrow
The Tree sparrow is a small bird slightly less stocky than the House sparrow. Males and femalesare similar with a chocolate brown crown and white neck collar. White
cheeks with a black smudge and a small black bib. The back and wings are a mixture of browns and the underparts are pale brown. Its bill is small and black with a yellow base. Its legs are pale brown. Length: 14cm Voice: A short ‘chick’ or ‘chop’ Top
Coal tit
An active and fearless small tit, with a black head, white cheeks and a white patch on its nape.They often join up with other tit species in autumn and winter. The coal tit
has a distinctive ‘seetoo-seetoo-seetoo’ call, which can be heard in woodland areas, typically in conifer trees. Length: 11cm Voice: ‘seetoo-seetoo-seetoo’ Top
Great tit
The Great tit is bigger than the blue tit, with a black and white head, white cheeks, bright yellowunderparts with a broad black band and a green back. The black breast stripe is slightly wider
on the male.
In winter, they flock together and are joined by blue tits,
long tailed tits and other woodland species as they search for food. Length: 14cm Voice ‘tsink, tsink, tsink’ Top
Robin
The Robin has a bright, orange-red breast, brown back, round bodies and big black eyes,and 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 quite a tame garden bird feeding on seeds, scraps, berries and insects, both on the ground and on the bird table. Length: 14cm Voice ‘tsink, tsink, tsink’ Top
Long tailed tit
The Long-tailed tit is easily recognisable with its tiny body and slim tail, pale head, pink shouldersand dark wings.
These garden residents are usually spotted in small, excitable
flocks of about 20 birds. Like most tits, they can be seen in woodland and bushes Length: 14cm Voice: High, short ‘seee...seee’ Top
Starling
Starlings are active and noisy, usually seen in small flocks. At a distance, starlings appear black,but they have
a glossy body with a green and purple sheen, with white
and buff spots.
In autumn and winter, migrant Starlings from Europe join resident birds to form huge flocks at regular roosts. Voice: 21cm Voice ‘tcheer, tcheer’ Top
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