Big Garden Birdwatch, now 44 years old, is the UK’s largest citizen science project.
The information collected helps the RSPB understand not only which birds enter UK airspace, but which ones disappear and why.
Anyone can take part – just spend an hour counting birds outside your window or in your local park.
What is Big Garden Bird Watch?
Big Garden Birdwatch provides a snapshot that allows the RSPB to track bird populations in the UK.
In 2022, over 11 million birds visited by 700,000 people across the UK.
About 38 million birds have disappeared from the British sky over the past 50 years. By participating in Big Garden Birdwatch, you can help improve the ever-changing population.
The RSPB says: “The UK Red List of Birds tracks population trends for 245 species, with birds marked ‘red’ being the most vulnerable. In 2021, greenfinch was on the red list for the first time.
“In 1979, when Big Garden Birdwatch began, greenfinches were in eighth place, but this year they have dropped to 19th. trichomoniasis. Chaffinches and house sparrows can also be affected.”
How to take part?
To enter, follow three easy steps between January 27th and 29th:
1. Watch the birds around you for an hour.
2. Count how many birds of each species land on your territory.
3. Go online and tell the RSPB what you saw
You do not need to be a member of the RSPB to participate, just register here.
The time of day doesn’t matter, says the RSPB: “The time of day you’re birding can affect the number and variety of birds you see, but it doesn’t affect the overall results.
“That’s because so many people count the birds at different times over the course of three days.
“We also get questions about things like weather and food, but because the results are based on input from many people who are bird watchers, the effects of weather, food, and time cancel out—unbelievable, isn’t it!”
How to attract birds?
You can use bird food and water to attract birds to your yard. Place the feeders in a quiet and safe place, protected from the wind.
Use something flat for water, for example. B. plate and remember to change the water every day and keep it clean.
You can find tits, great tits, wood pigeons, robins, finches, starlings, magpies, sparrows, goldfinches, turtle doves and many more.
The RSPB guide to what birds eat says:
- Blackbirds primarily feed on the ground and eat a variety of foods, from greasy snacks to mealworms.
- Blue tits and great tits use the feeder and eat seeds, as well as fat and peanuts.
- Finches, including finches and greenfinches, use both a bird feeder and table, and they love sunflower hearts.
- Look for good quality bird seeds – food that does not contain “fillers” such as dried peas and beans, which birds rarely eat.
- You can put leftovers like some bread, fruit cake, dried fruit, unsalted pastries, or fruits like apples and pears on the outside. However, don’t use anything that’s moldy or salty, and if you have a dog, don’t put in dried fruit—seeds like raisins can be toxic to them.
Source: I News
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