Scotland goes ‘long-tailed tits up’ for Big Garden Birdwatch

RSPB Scotland's Molly Martin tells us about our top 10 birds in Scotland from this year's Big Garden Birdwatch! 

Scotland goes ‘long-tailed tits up’ for Big Garden Birdwatch 

House sparrows once again reign supreme in Scotland’s gardens, keeping the top spot for the 17th year in a row! Seventy-two percent of gardens reported having house sparrows this year, and increase of 2% from last year, and an average of 6 sparrows per garden. 

Starlings come in second, with an average of 4 starlings being seen by 40% of gardens. Starlings are amazing mimics, you might hear them in your garden impersonating other birds or even manmade sounds such as car alarms! 

Over half of the gardens in Scotland reported having chaffinches, with an average of 3 per garden making an appearance.  

Blue tits were reported by 75% of participants, and with 2.5 per garden, they were the fourth most common bird in Scotland for 2020. 

Blackbird finish off Scotland’s top 5, with an average of two blackbirds being seen in 85% of gardens. Blackbirds tend to share a territory with their partner, and are often seen foraging for food on the ground, particularly under bird feeders where messy eaters have been throwing nibbles around. 

Goldfinches come in 6th, being featured in a third of all gardens reported. Goldfinches are often seen in groups called charms, hanging around on bird feeders, particularly if you lay out some of their favourite food- niger seeds. 

Gardens in Scotland have an average of 1.6 wood pigeons each, and were reported by 60% or Big Garden Birdwatch participants, putting the woodpigeon in the 7th top spot.  

The highly territorial robin makes it to 8th place, with and average of 1 robin being seen in 86% of gardens.  

Fewer great tits were reported in 2020 than the previous year, but they still made it into Scotland’s most frequent visitors, being reported in 50% of gardens.  

The final bird to squeeze its way into the top ten is a new entry for 2020! Long-tailed tits were reported by 20% more people than in 2019, it is possible these smaller birds benefited from the milder weather, helping more to survive and the population to grow.