Mild winter gives lift to small birds
THIS year’s milder winter boosted the fortunes of smaller birds such as longtailed tits, wrens and coal tits, a nationwide garden bird survey has revealed.
Results from the RSPB’s annual Big Garden Birdwatch, which took place in the last weekend in January, show that smaller birds which struggle in harsher winters were seen in more gardens this year than in 2019.
The number of gardens where longtailed tits were seen was up by 14 per cent compared with 2019, according to the survey in which members of the public spend an hour watching the birds that visit their garden.
Almost half a million people took part this year.
Wrens were seen in 13 per cent more gardens and coal tit sightings were up 10 per cent on last year.
The house sparrow remains at the top of the rankings. Starlings were in second place and blue tits third.
Daniel Hayhow, RSPB conservation scientist, said: “Small birds suffer during long, cold winters but the warmer January weather this year appears to have given species such as the wren and long-tailed tit a boost.
“Over the survey’s lifetime, we’ve seen the increasing good fortunes of birds such as the coal tit and goldfinch and the alarming declines of the house sparrow and starling.
“But there appears to be good news for one of these birds.”
While there has been a 53 per cent decline overall in house sparrow numbers since 1979, numbers appear to have increased by 10 per cent over the past decade.