Related
Recommended
Yvonne M
Two Blue Tits on a bird feeder.

Between 26-28 January this year, something amazing happened - 43,412 people across Scotland stopped what they were doing and spent an hour watching birds in their garden or local greenspace. This year an impressive 817,395 birds were spotted across the country. Now that our scientists have sorted through the data, we can reveal the winners and losers of Big Garden Birdwatch 2024.

Read on for our full rundown of the top 10 in Scotland.

10. Coal Tit 

We start our countdown with a bird that climbed two places from last year, sneaking in at number 10. In total you counted 33,517 Coal Tits, and they showed up in half of all counts!

A side on photo of a Coal Tit. There is text which reads, "10, Coal Tit - Up two places".

9. Goldfinch 

The biggest losers of the top 10, Goldlfinches dropped to two places to 9th this year. Not only were they recorded in fewer surveys compared with 2023, but they showed up in lower numbers too. Fingers crossed for a recovery next year.

A close up of a Goldfinch facing down the camera. There is text which reads, "9, Goldfinch - Down two places".

8. Robin

A solid year for Robins holding firm in 8th place this year. Unlike many other garden birds, they’re known for being loners, so it’s perhaps unsurprising that they finished up in 8th place.

A close up of a robin holding a grub in its mouth. There is text which reads, "8, Robin – a non-mover".

7. Great Tit

Great Tits jumped into 7th place this year. With numbers rising once again, what can we expect to see from them next year?

A close up of a Great Tit perched on a branch facing down the lense. There is text which reads, "7, Great Tit - Up two places".

6. Woodpigeon

While they’ve retained the same position for the fourth year running, Woodpigeons have sadly seen a slight decline in the number of surveys they turned up in.

A close up of a Woodpigeon looking at the camera. It looks like it's challenging the viewer to a fight. There is text which reads, "6, Woodpigeon - a non-mover".

5. Blackbird

Another non-mover compared to 2023, Blackbirds are often seen hopping along beneath feeders, looking for fallen scraps. Like Robins, they were seen in a lot of surveys, but not in large enough numbers to rise above 5th place.

Two Blackbirds - one male and one female - are standing on grass next to a half-eaten piece of fruit. There is text which reads, "5, Blackbird - a non-mover".

4. Chaffinch

Losing their place on the podium since last year, Chaffinches have had to hand in their bronze medal. They didn’t even make the top 10 in the UK-wide results, but it’s been a good year in Scotland for the Breacan-beithe.

Five Chaffinches - two female and three male - are feeding on seeds on a tree stump. There is text which reads, "4, Chaffinch - Down one place".

3. Blue tit

Rising one place since last year to claim the bronze medal Blue Tits have made it back into the top three.

A blue tit is perched on a mossy twig. There is text which reads, "3, Blue Tit - Up one place".

2. Starling

An average of just over 3 Starlings per garden put these birds in second place, although we are seeing them in smaller numbers than previous years.

A Starling with its head titled backwards, looking at the camera. There is text which reads, "2, StarlingTit - a non-mover".

1. House Sparrow

And coming in at number 1 for the 13th year in a row... House Sparrows! These noisy champions showed up in 70% of our gardens, and together we counted an incredible 137,966 of them!

A male and female House Sparrow perched on stones. Text reads "1 - House Sparrow - a non-mover in top spot".

How does this compare to what you saw? Let us know!