Top 10 British birds in your garden

Find out what British birds you're most likely to see in your garden and keep the kids entertained for the afternoon - bird watching has never been as fun!

Top 10 British birds
(Image credit: John Harding/BTO)

Find out what British birds you're most likely to see in your garden and keep the kids entertained for the afternoon - bird watching has never been as fun!

If you want to keep the kids entertained and they love being in the garden, then try out bird watching. We've listed the top 10 birds you're most likely to see in your garden, according to a study by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) - from the common blackbird to our more colourful feathered friends like goldfinches. Bird watching is free, fun and the kids will love hiding behind the garden shed with their binoculars. Enjoy!

No.10: Goldfinch

(Image credit: John Harding/BTO)

Goldfinches now visit over half of the UK's gardens every week - they love sunflower hearts and nyger seeds so sprinkle some on your bird table to attract these pretty birds to your garden.

(Photographer: John Harding, BTO)

No.9: House sparrow

Top 10 British birds

(Image credit: John Harding/BTO)

House sparrows are quite noisy and often fly together in small flocks. They visit British gardens all year round so they should be easy for your kids to spot.

(Photographer: John Harding, BTO)

No.8: Collared dove

Top 10 British birds

(Image credit: John Harding/BTO)

You'll spot a collared dove easily because of the black collar around their necks and where you get one, you'll probably find another as they often go around in pairs. They love to eat seeds and grains.

(Photographer: John Harding, BTO)

No.7: Chaffinch

Top 10 British birds

(Image credit: John Harding/BTO)

The Chaffinch is one of the most colourful birds in the garden and you'll hear them before you see them as they have a loud chirp so make sure you listen out!

(Photographer: John Harding, BTO)

No.6: Dunnock

Top 10 British birds

(Image credit: John Harding/BTO)

The dunnock is quite a nervous little bird and is usually found shuffling around the edge of a flower bed or under a bush on its own, as their favourite foods are spiders and worms, so get down on your hands and knees to spot this bird.

(Photographer: John Harding, BTO)

No.5: Great tit

Top 10 British birds

(Image credit: Chris Bradley/BTO)

The Great tit has been the 5th most common bird to be seen in British gardens for 15 years now. You'll spot their glossy black head and white cheeks amongst the trees. They love to eat insects, seeds and nuts so fill your bird feeders up and wait for them to come.

(Photographer: Chris Bradley, BTO)

No.4: Woodpigeon

Top 10 British birds

(Image credit: Jill Pakenham/BTO)

Woodpigeons make that 'coo' noise that you're probably quite familiar with and they'll eat lots of things like cabbage, grain and berries if you throw them out on your lawn.

(Photographer: Jill Pakenham, BTO)

No.3: Robin

Top 10 British birds

(Image credit: John Harding/BTO)

The Robin is everyone's favourite bird, especially at Christmas. The males and females both look the same and have been known to follow gardeners around the garden looking for worms.

(Photographer: John Harding, BTO)

No.2: Blackbird

Top 10 British birds

(Image credit: John Harding/BTO)

Although a male blackbird is pure black, the females are brown! They sing a lovely mellow song from the tree tops.

(Photographer: John Harding, BTO)

GoodtoKnow

Trusted, informative, and empathetic – GoodToKnow is the ultimate online destination for mums. Established in 2007, our 15-year-strong archive of content includes more than 18,000 articles, 1,500 how-to videos, and 7,000 recipes.