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Brian C

Guest blog by Anne-Marie McDevitt, RSPB NI Head of Species


The numbers are in and we can reveal the most-spotted birds across Northern Ireland, as recorded in the Big Garden Birdwatch weekend at the end of January, so thanks again to everyone who took part in this ever-important citizen science project!
House sparrows continue to rule the roost in Northern Ireland, while sightings of goldfinches and robins were up - and collared doves bumped coal tits out of the NI Top 10.
Here is Anne-Marie McDevitt's rundown of this year's 'top of the flocks' list!

  1. House sparrow. Although number one on the list, house sparrows have undergone a big decline in numbers in rural and urban areas and are on the red list of birds of conservation concern, with scientists working hard to find out the cause.

  2. Starling. This noisy and gregarious bird has so many unusual attributes – from its beautiful purple and green glossy plumage to its incredible winter display, known as a murmuration, to its ability to mimic, amongst other things, buzzards and car alarms!  

  3. Goldfinch. No surprises that a flock of these beautifully-coloured finches (above) is called a charm! Goldfinches are doing well, probably because their long fine beak means they can tease out small seeds from common plants like thistles and dandelions.

  4. Chaffinch. Both its colour and its call is ‘pink’ but its song has been likened to a fast bowler – with a run of very fast notes then a sudden stop!

  5. Blue tit. With its yellow and blue coloration it’s one of our most beautiful garden birds. Smart too - scientists in Norway have discovered that they use aromatic plants such as lavender and mint, which kill bacteria, to line their nests, making it safer to raise chicks.
     
  6. Blackbird. Although black (or brown for the female), the blackbird is a member of the thrush family! Blackbirds have remarkably acute hearing and are able to detect invertebrates moving under the surface of the ground.

  7. Robin. Our most iconic garden bird, the robin is unusual in that it sings all year round to keep its territory, and often by streetlight. So, if you hear a bird singing in winter you can be pretty sure it’s a robin!

  8. Magpie. This stunning member of the crow family is one of our most well recognised birds. Much maligned for taking chicks and nestlings, studies using 35 years’ worth of data found that songbird numbers were no different in places where there were many magpies from where there are few.

  9. Great tit. The largest member of the tit family, yellow and green with a glossy black head, and broad black stripe down the chest. Although a double-note song, it can have over 40 variations so if you hear a bird song that you can't identify, then there’s a good chance it will be a great tit!

  10. Collared dove. Pushing coal tit off last year’s number 10 spot, this beautiful dove (above) was first recorded breeding in the UK in 1955 after rapidly spreading across Europe from the Middle East. Often seen singly or in pairs.

To see all the Big Garden Birdwatch results, visit www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch

Picture credits: House sparrows - Hazel Watson, Goldfinch - John Bridges (rspb-images.com), Robin and collared dove- Andy Hay (rspb-images.com).