Which wild birds are in your back garden? Use our interactive tool to find out

Telegraph

11-04-2025

The sight of tiny sparrows fluttering between the branches of a hedge is a quintessential part of a walk in the countryside. Just as the repetitive 'tap-tap-tap' of the woodpecker, the 'flupt-flupt-flupt' flapping of the woodpigeon and the 'tchak' of a carrion crow are part of a walk through woodlands.
But perhaps there is no bird as well ingrained in our collective culture than the red-breasted robin. As synonymous with Christmas as the other red-dressed fellow, and featuring in countless pieces of art and media, the robin is the nation's favourite bird – as well as one of our most common.
According to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), it is also one of the most common birds across our gardens, being spotted in over 80 per cent of the gardens that took part in this year's Big Garden Bird Watch.
The 2025 Big Garden Bird Watch, which compiled data from nearly 600,000 amateur ornithologists across the UK, recorded 80 different species of bird. From the smallest song birds, to waterbirds, and mighty birds of prey. In all, nine million birds were spotted and counted.
How many species were spotted in your local area? You can use our interactive tool below to browse the species recorded near you, and how your county compares with others across the UK.
The most commonly spotted and recorded bird was the house sparrow, appearing in just under 60 per cent of gardens. Despite its spot at the top, outside of garden habitats the house sparrow is a struggling species. Its numbers dropped by nearly three-quarters between the late 1990s and nearly 2000s, and are still dropping, meaning it has been given a UK conservation status of red.
Other species continue to struggle as well. The Starling has dropped from third to fourth place compared to last year's survey – with the lowest number of individuals ever recorded. The starling is a red-listed species and considered a high conservation concern. In 2000, it was the most populous bird recorded in the RSPB's Big Garden Bird Watch surveys.
Beccy Speight, the RSPB chief executive, said: 'Starlings are one of our most charismatic garden birds, but this year's Big Garden Birdwatch results is a reason for concern. With one in six species at risk of extinction from Great Britain, we've done more damage to our natural world than we realise. However, we can all do our bit to support these threatened birds by taking small actions that can not only benefit starlings, but a wealth of other garden wildlife.'
Which birds have you heard in your area? Click the videos to listen to the birdsong of several popular, and more elusive, species
A common species the world over, the house sparrow is commonly associated with human settlements, being a common site in urban and suburban areas. A small brown bird, the males are brighter, with white and black markings. Females and young birds are typically paler. They have a loud, sometimes erratic, song used to both keep contact with their flock and in mating and nesting.
Despite being a common bird, their numbers are dropping dramatically. Between 1977 and 2008, there was a 71 per cent reduction in the number of house sparrows across rural and urban populations. However, some surveys suggest their populations are increasing in Scotland and Wales.
One of the most colourful regular garden visitors in the UK, the blue tit is instantly recognisable for its bright plumage. Unlike some other species, the males and females look remarkably similar, with the subtle difference being males having a more intense blue colour to their crown feathers.
Like many of their related species, it is a sociable bird and can often be seen in large flocks feeding together. In the winter months, these flocks can include other species of tit, such as great tits.
They are notable for their use of nesting boxes, which are claimed by a breeding pair for life who will return each year. On their death, another pair will claim the box.
Voted the nation's favourite bird according to YouGov, the robin is synonymous with the countryside. One of the most common birds encountered in this year's Big Garden Bird Watch, it is characterised by its red breast, which is shared by both males and females, although younger birds might have a more golden tone to their breast feathers.
Known to sing all year round, and at night, their song is cheerful and pleasing. Despite this, and their cute appearance, they are aggressively territorial birds, and will sing to defend their territory.
They may not look like it, but jays are members of the wider crow family of birds (Corvidae). Much shyer than the common carrion crow, they are typically woodland birds, although have been spotted in more urban areas.
Jays are strongly associated with the oak tree, being prolific acorn hoarders. They will take acorns in the autumn and bury them for retrieval in the winter months. A single bird may bury hundreds of acorns each year. They are so tightly associated with the tree that the latin name 'glandarius' translates to 'of acorns'.
You will usually know one is close not by sight, but the sound of its screech-like call. They are known to also mimic the cries and calls of other birds, including buzzards.
Another shy bird, the great spotted woodpecker will make itself known with its characteristic 'hammering'. You may be lucky to catch a glimpse however, recognisable by its crimson highlights which contrast their mostly black and white plumage.
While the woodpecker has a 'cip'-like call, it is known for its hammering. Both sexes will hammer against trees, at a rate of 10 to 16 beats per second, although the male will do so more frequently. The hammering is both a means of communication and feeding, with the birds using their sharp, long beak to drill holes into tree bark in search of insects. They will eat a range of foods as well as this however, including seeds and nuts.
The name Dendrocopos combines the Greek words dendron, 'tree', and kopos, 'striking'.
Despite lacking the brighter colours of some other tits, the willow tit is a pretty bird nonetheless. With its black cap it looks very similar to, and is often confused with, the marsh tit. They are so similar in fact that the willow tit was not recognised in Britain until the end of the 19th century. However, in countries further east they are slightly paler than the marsh tit.
The willow tit prefers rotten or soft wood for its nest, boring its own hole into the wood and filling it with fur and hair it collects. However, its nest can actually be predated by the great spotted woodpecker. A decline in the population of willow tits has gone hand in hand with a rise in that of the great spotted woodpecker.