It’s time for the Big Garden Birdwatch once again – the world’s largest garden wildlife survey – and the RSPB needs your help!
Last year, over 600,000 people took part in Big Garden Birdwatch 2024, counting a whopping 9.7 million birds!
How does it work?
Simply choose an hour any time between 24-26th January, count the birds that land in your garden, on your balcony or even in the park and send your findings (even if you don’t see anything) to the RSPB. Watch this video for more information.
RSPB - The Big Garden Birdwatch
Counting and logging the birds we see in our local spaces helps the RSPB understand how British birds are faring in nature. House Sparrows are the most common, but numbers of these chirpy birds are down by 60% compared to the first Birdwatch in 1979. In fact, we’ve lost 38 million birds from UK skies in the last 60 years, and some species have fallen by as much as 95%. There are many reasons why British birds are in decline but ultimately, it’s due to loss of habitat caused by humans. Population growth, transport, intensive farming, and a demand for cheap mass -produced goods, all contribute to the decline of British wildlife. Britain’s birds may be facing unprecedented habitat loss, but there are plenty of easy and low-cost ways we can help them thrive.
Most spotted birds of 2024
How to make your garden friendly for birds
One of the simplest ways to help the British bird population is to make an outdoor space as bird-friendly as possible. You don’t have to spend lots of money – with a bit of consideration and reuse you could soon create a haven for birds:
Shelter – Birds need shelter from the elements and somewhere to nest when it’s time to lay their eggs. You could build a bird house for your garden or balcony out of scraps of wood. If you need to source material, check out your nearest Recycling Centre’s reuse shop. . The RSPB provides lots of guidance on how to maintain a bird house.
If you want to get little ones involved in nature, this house building activity created by the Scouts is a great way to develop skills and learn more about the outdoors.
Food – Birds love insects and worms but, when these are scarce, we can help by installing a bird feeding station filled with peanuts, seeds, and raisins. You can make a homemade bird feeder out of a recycled bottle (activity sheet here), or give these homemade bird treats a go.
Water – It’s really important to leave clean drinking water out for the birds in your garden, so invest in a bird bath or leave a shallow dish of water on your bird feeder.
So, this year, why not take part in the world’s largest garden wildlife survey and help protect Britain’s birds!
