Common Species
24 species
Photo: UK garden bird collection
Robin
The gardener's friend, often following you as you dig. They eat insects, worms, and berries.
Photo: UK garden bird collection
Blue Tit
Acrobatic feeders that love peanuts and sunflower seeds. They nest in boxes and natural cavities.
Photo: UK garden bird collection
Great Tit
Larger than blue tits with a black head and white cheeks. Bold birds that dominate feeders.
Photo: UK garden bird collection
Coal Tit
Smaller tit with distinctive white patch on back of head. Often stores food for later.
Photo: UK garden bird collection
Long-tailed Tit
Tiny birds with long tails that travel in flocks. Build elaborate domed nests lined with feathers.
Photo: UK garden bird collection
Blackbird
Ground feeders that love worms and fallen fruit. Their song is a garden highlight.
Photo: UK garden bird collection
Song Thrush
Speckled breast and melodious song. Famous for smashing snails on stones to eat them.
Photo: UK garden bird collection
Dunnock
Quiet brown bird often mistaken for a sparrow. Feeds on the ground, shuffling through leaf litter.
Photo: UK garden bird collection
Wren
Tiny bird with a loud voice. Often seen in low vegetation, hunting for insects and spiders.
Photo: UK garden bird collection
House Sparrow
Once common, now declining. They need dense shrubs for nesting and seeds for food.
Photo: UK garden bird collection
Starling
Iridescent plumage and excellent mimics. Form spectacular murmurations in winter.
Photo: UK garden bird collection
Goldfinch
Colourful finch with red face and yellow wing bars. Love nyjer seeds and teasel heads.
Photo: UK garden bird collection
Chaffinch
Common finch with pinkish breast in males. Ground feeders that also visit bird tables.
Photo: UK garden bird collection
Greenfinch
Green and yellow finch with a powerful beak. Declining due to disease but still visit gardens.
Photo: UK garden bird collection
Bullfinch
Shy bird with distinctive pink breast in males. Feed on buds, seeds, and berries.
Photo: UK garden bird collection
Woodpigeon
Large pigeon with white neck patch. Their cooing is a familiar garden sound.
Photo: UK garden bird collection
Collared Dove
Pale dove with black collar. Originally from Asia, now common in UK gardens.
Photo: UK garden bird collection
Magpie
Intelligent black and white corvid. Omnivorous and often seen in pairs or family groups.
Photo: UK garden bird collection
Jackdaw
Small crow with grey nape. Sociable birds that nest in chimneys and cavities.
Photo: UK garden bird collection
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Black and white with red under tail. Drums on trees and visits feeders for suet and peanuts.
Photo: UK garden bird collection
Nuthatch
Blue-grey bird that walks down trees headfirst. Wedges nuts in bark to crack them open.
Photo: UK garden bird collection
Goldcrest
UK's smallest bird with a golden crown stripe. Often seen in conifers hunting tiny insects.
Photo: UK garden bird collection
Pied Wagtail
Black and white bird with long tail that constantly bobs. Catches insects on lawns and paths.
Photo: UK garden bird collection
Siskin
Small yellow-green finch increasingly visiting gardens. Love nyjer seeds and peanuts.
How to Support Garden Birds
Provide food year-round, especially high-energy foods in winter
Keep feeders clean to prevent disease spread
Offer fresh water for drinking and bathing
Plant berry-producing shrubs like hawthorn and elder
Leave seed heads on plants through winter
Put up nest boxes of different sizes for different species