Bonus Bird – The Long Tailed Tit
The long tailed tit is not as common in the UK but it can be seen in gardens so we wanted to include it in this list as a bonus bird. The RSPB tells us that this is one of the top ten but with only 340,000 currently living in the UK, it’s not as prevalent as others.
The long tailed tit is relatively small at just 14cm but much of its length is made up of its tail; no guesses for where it gets its name! These are highly excitable birds that can often be found in large groups of up to about 20. Surprisingly, during the winter, the long tailed tit will even flock with other tit species.
They’re common throughout the year and eat a variety of insects and seeds. They have a loud and high pitched song that is unmistakable.
Attracting Birds To Your Garden
With so many beautiful avian species in the UK, we wouldn’t be surprised if you said that you wanted to attract more feathered friends to your garden. The good news is that it couldn’t be easier. It’s important to keep in mind that the time of year and where you are in the UK might affect what species turn up but you can guarantee that you’ll see at least some of the birds we have talked about in this guide.
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at some great tips for attracting birds to your garden.
Bird Feeders
One of the easiest and most effective things you can do to attract birds to your garden is to set up some bird feeders. What foods you use will depend on the types of birds you are trying to attract but there are a lot of choices.
Generally speaking things like suet balls are great for attracting tit species and robins while mealworms are the food of choice for birds like starlings and blackbirds. If you want to see more sparrows and finches then sunflower hearts are an excellent choice of food.
Do keep in mind that different birds like different environments to feed. Some, like robins, will be happy to sit on a bird table while others like the chaffinch prefer to have shelter.
A Source Of Water
Birds not only enjoy chowing down on their favourite snacks, but they’ll also be more likely to approach your garden if there is a fresh source of water. They’ll use this for bathing and drinking so installing a bird bath is ideal.
You’ll need to choose a good location. This means selecting somewhere that the birds can have a good all round view to watch out for predators as well as being shaded. Also make sure that the water is not too deep; around two inches will be more than enough.
Plants
Birds love plants for many reasons. They’ll feed off of them and use them for shelter so by planting a lot of bird-friendly plants, you have a much higher chance of some feathered visitors.
Plants that grow berries such as hawthorn and holly are ideal as they will act as a natural food source for the birds. You might also consider planting something like honeysuckle or ivy as these provide the birds with an abundance of seeds. Just keep in mind that these can become invasive if they’re not kept under control.
Conclusion
So, there you have it; our definitive guide to the most common UK garden birds. Try going outside and seeing which of these you can spot. When you start paying attention to your local wildlife, you’ll be amazed at just how abundant it really is.