The results from this year’s Big Garden Birdwatch have revealed that house sparrow has held on to the top spot for another year, with blue tits at number two and starlings coming in at number three.
Wood pigeons and blackbirds make up the remainder of the top five most recorded species.
More than 600,000 people joined the world’s largest garden wildlife survey, counting more than 9.5 million birds of 80 species during this year’s RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch.
The UK’s gardens are an increasingly important habitat for many species. These places are often overlooked and taken for granted but cover an estimated 4,330 square kilometres.
In England alone, the land area given over to gardens is more than four and a half times larger than that of our National Nature Reserves.
The RSPB’s chief executive, Beccy Speight, said: “Last year’s State of Nature report laid out a grim picture finding that there’s been no let-up in the decline of our wildlife over recent decades, with one in six species at risk of being lost from Great Britain.
“However, with seven out of eight households lucky enough to have access to a garden, it is the place where many of us can make a positive difference to the ongoing nature crisis.
“Gardens and community green spaces can both give a crucial lifeline for struggling species by providing a huge patchwork of potential homes for nature.”
Big Garden Birdwatch is the world’s largest garden wildlife survey, and gives the RSPB insights into how some of our most common garden birds are faring.
To turn your garden or local green space into a haven for wildlife, go to: www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/nature-on-your-doorstep.
