FEATHERED FRIENDS TO LOOK FOR

GREAT TIT: Distinguished by a black stripe down its yellow front. The males have a slightly thicker stripe than the females.

LONG-TAILED TIT: Tiny body and a distinctive long tail. Known affectionately as “bumbarrels” due to the spherical shape of their nests. Often found in groups.

ROBIN: Unmistakable orange breast. Some visit from mainland Europe in winter. You can hear its song almost any time of year.

GOLDFINCH: Look for the gold in its wings, but also the red on its head. More than one? A flock of goldfinches is called a charm.

GREENFINCH: Bigger than goldfinches, greenfinches have a chunky beak to crack seeds. Look out for green/yellow in the wings.

BLACKBIRD: Males are black with yellow beaks, while females are brown.

HOUSE SPARROW: The male has a grey

head, black bib and brown streaky back, while the female is browner all over.

CHAFFINCH: Male chaffinches have a pinkyorange breast, while females are browner. Both have white bars in their wings, which are visible when they fly.

DUNNOCK: A small streaky brown and grey bird. It feeds on the ground, flicking its wings as it moves.

STARLING: Look closely and you’ll see lots of different colours in this mostly black bird, including white spots.

WOODPIGEON: A large garden bird that is mostly grey with a white patch on its neck.

BLUE TIT: Not merely blue. It has yellow on its front, green on its back and white on its face.

COLLARED DOVE: Has a black neck collar.

COAL TIT: Smaller than a great tit, look out for its black head and white cheeks.

MAGPIE: Black and white with iridescent feathers that contain hints of purple and green.

Main image, a blue tit on a peanut feeder; top left, a long-tailed tit; bottom left, a collared dove