Golden year for tiny bird flocking back to gardens

BRITAIN’S smallest bird is enjoying a population boom in the nation’s back gardens, experts said yesterday.

Sightings of goldcrests were up 51 per cent after a healthy breeding season, September’s Garden BirdWatch survey found. The insect eaters – which are a little smaller than a wren – were spotted in 5.3 per cent of back gardens, up from the 3.5 per cent 20-year average.

Because of their diet, Goldcrests are vulnerable to cold winters and will visit bird feeders for a meal of fatty, insect-laden treats.

Claire Boothby, of the British Trust for Ornithology, said: “Putting food out really can make the difference between life and death.”