It’s Big and back!
Join in the RSPB’s huge Birdwatch
THE world’s largest garden wildlife survey, the Big Garden Birdwatch, returns in January.
The UK’s largest ‘citizen science’ event, involving hundreds of thousands of keen-eyed bird spotters, the Birdwatch will run from Friday to Sunday, 29-31 January 2021.
Running for four decades, the Big Bird Watch has helped chart the fluctuations in population numbers of our garden birds.
All you have to do is spend an hour looking for birds in their garden or local park, totting up the numbers of individuals of each species.
Last year, almost 500,000 people took part and counted almost eight million birds. The house sparrow took the number one spot, followed by the starling and blue tit. However, the number of individuals spotted showed that numbers of birds are actually falling.
Nature is important and necessary
House sparrows are down 53% while starlings are down 80%. It’s a pattern echoed by two more garden favourites, with blackbirds and robins down 46% and 32% .
Beccy Speight, the RSPB’s Chief Executive, said: “There is a broad and much-needed realisation that nature is an important and necessary part of our lives especially for our mental health and wellbeing.
“But nature needs us too and by taking part in the Birdwatch you are helping to build an annual snapshot of how our birdlife is doing across the UK.”
For your free Big Garden Birdwatch guide, which includes a bird identification chart, top tips for your birdwatch, RSPB shop voucher, plus advice on how to attract wildlife to your garden, text BIRD to 70030 or rspb.org.uk/birdwatch.
Registration for Big Garden Birdwatch 2021 opens on Wednesday, 9 December 2020.