Make it Count: RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 2025
This weekend (24, 25 and 26 January) the RSPB is inviting the nation to spend an hour counting the birds in their gardens and local outdoor spaces by taking part in the world’s biggest garden wildlife survey.
Taking part could not be simpler, and last year over 600,000 individuals and teams of citizen scientists submitted their responses, counting over 9 million birds in gardens, balconies, parks, allotments and schools. And for the RSPB, this provides an annual snapshot of how garden birds in the UK are faring.
Weather can play an important role in the lives of birds by impacting their behaviour and numbers. Whilst birds are adapted to cope with cold weather, lower temperatures can make it harder to find food, impacting their survival and having a knock-on effect on their populations. Small birds such as Wrens and Long-tailed Tits can be particularly affected, and it will be interesting to see whether the recent cold temperatures and snow cover across the UK have impacted these species.
Mike Kendon, Climate Information Scientist at the Met Office said: “January often brings a mix of weather patterns to the UK, with periods of mild and cold weather interspersed. This variability is due to the influence of different air masses, with cold snaps feeling particularly harsh because they often follow milder spells.
Despite the recent cold weather, we are experiencing warmer winters with fewer air and ground frosts. 2024 was provisionally the fourth warmest year on record for the UK, and this is a trend that’s set to continue.”
With January weather conditions looking set to return to milder climes, we might also expect to see an increase in the number of winter migrants. Fieldfare and Redwing are two large and vibrant thrushes that visit the UK throughout the winter months, flying great distances from Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. They arrive to take advantage of the fair weather and can be spotted feeding on the berries of hawthorn and rowan trees.
Beccy Speight, RSPB chief executive, said: “At its heart, Big Garden Birdwatch is an opportunity for people to spend an hour watching, enjoying, and connecting with the wildlife on their doorstep. From chirpy House Sparrows to acrobatic Blue Tits, the entertaining antics of our garden birds can brighten even the dullest day and bring a welcome dose of nature into our everyday lives. By taking part in the Birdwatch, you and hundreds of thousands of other nature lovers across the UK, play an important role in helping us understand how garden birds are doing. With the nature and climate emergency threatening even our most familiar birds, every count matters. It’s good for wildlife and evidence shows it’s good for us too.
“The weather can sometimes be harsh on our wildlife, especially our small garden birds. Now that the snow and icy conditions have passed, we hope everyone can take part in the Birdwatch to help determine how our birds are faring and see if the weather has impacted their numbers.
“Many of the amazing garden birds people will be counting this weekend are in decline. There are 38 million fewer birds in our skies than half a century ago, and despite being one of the most numerous birds since the Big Garden Birdwatch started in 1979, the average count of House Sparrows spotted in gardens has dropped by a staggering 60%.”
Beccy said “I’d encourage everyone to take part in this year’s Big Garden Birdwatch, whether in a garden, balcony or a local green space. It’s fun, free and for everyone – the perfect way to spend an hour in or out of the cold to help our precious, yet fragile wildlife.”
We know people love feeding the birds in their gardens and some species really do benefit from us putting out extra food for them, especially in winter. However, there is increasing evidence of negative effects in other birds, such as the spread of disease among finches.
Following simple hygiene measures in gardens where food and water are offered can help keep our birds healthy. This includes routine cleaning of feeding stations and bird baths, moving feeding stations around the garden to prevent build-up of food or droppings on the ground and monitoring the food supply to ensure it meets demand.
Since starting in 1979, Big Garden Birdwatch has since become a much-loved annual citizen science event, that gives the RSPB a valuable snapshot of how our garden birds are doing in the UK. Over that time, 195 million birds have been counted and nearly 12.1 million hours spent watching and counting garden birds.
To take part in Big Garden Birdwatch visit www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch.24 January 2025
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