Do you enjoy seeing wildlife in your garden? Winter in the UK is a wonderful time to watch garden birds explore your property. There are plenty of species you can only see during this season, and it’s fun to watch them search for food.
There are many birds that are resident in the UK and can be found during the winter months, but here is a list of 15 of the most common UK garden birds you can see in the winter:
- Robin
- Blue Tit
- Blackbird
- Goldfinch
- Great Tit
- Long-Tailed Tit
- Nuthatch
- Chaffinch
- Brambling
- Bullfinch
- Dunnock
- Goldcrest
- Redwing
- Fieldfare
- Waxwing
Suppose you want to know what common UK garden birds you can expect to see this winter; make sure to keep reading. These are the 15 bird species you’ll see in the coming months!
1. Robin
Robins are some of the most familiar birds in the UK, no matter where you live. You can easily recognize it by its red chest and light brown or grey body. The robin is Britain’s National Bird and represents Christmas, making it popular on holiday cards.
Robins love beetles and worms. If you garden often, you may notice them pulling worms from the earth you just dug up. Anyone who sees plenty of robins in their garden can leave them mealworms or healthy seeds, fruit, and nuts as a treat.
The robins you see on your property are likely migrating during the winter and could use something to eat!
See the Robin in slow motion on my feeder: Birds on the feeder in my garden – Slow motion
2. Blue Tit
The blue tit is a bird local to the UK and often seen during the cold months. They are known for stealing sips of milk right from people’s doorsteps and enjoying seeds and various fats as their primary food sources.
Many people love the blue and yellow colouration on this bird, making them a welcome guest in their gardens. Many of them don’t migrate away in the winter, so you will want to provide them with food and water sources.
Fun Fact: Around 95% of British gardens report blue tits in winter.
Plus, they seek a new, warmer shelter in the winter. You will want to leave fallen twigs and branches in your garden for blue tits to use. If you have any empty birdhouses or boxes, they can use those as well.
3. Blackbird
Next, you will be sure to see blackbirds in your garden this winter. The female birds are usually brown, with their male counterparts having all-black feathers. These birds are also courageous and will come up close to you for food.
Their black bodies and yellow beaks easily identify them. The blackbird also loves to sing, making them an excellent addition to your property. The population grows in the winter since blackbirds from other areas migrate to the UK.
4. Goldfinch
If you set out food and water this winter, you will be sure to see a goldfinch or two. This species loves seeds, with their diet primarily consisting of them. The goldfinch is easy to identify by the yellow patch on their wing and their red faces.
The goldfinch prefers sunflower seeds and nyjer seeds- you will want to keep those snacks in stock to attract them this season. Finally, they also feed on the worms in your garden, making them fun birds to watch.
See the Goldfinch in slow motion on my feeder: Birds on the feeder in my garden – Slow motion
5. Great Tit
Many people in the UK consider the great tit to be one of the most stunning winter garden birds. They sing a very particular song that consists of just two notes, which you can listen to below:
Great tits and coal tits look very similar, although the great tit is much larger. This bird species is the biggest in the tit family, making them easier to spot in groups of birds. You can identify them by the white spots on their cheeks and the light yellow on their bodies.
6. Long-Tailed Tit
The long-tailed tit travels in large flocks, which can include 20 birds at most. So if you have one bird in your garden, you likely have ten more hiding somewhere close by! The long-tailed tit raises their young in groups and stays together in family flocks throughout their lives.
Fun Fact: Long-Tailed Tit are resident in the UK and found year-round.
They have a very long tail feather for their small size, making them easy to identify. Attracting the bird to your garden is very easy with fat balls!
7. Nuthatch
You are likely to see the nuthatch in your garden if you also have some trees close by. These birds have unique talons, which allow them to hold onto the bark and branches with ease. They hunt for food at the base of the tree and cling to the surface. Nuthatches even store their food in holes in trees.
The nuthatch becomes more and more common each year as it spreads across the UK. However, you will not be able to view this species in Ireland. However, they are easy to identify with their dusty orange chest and light blue backs.
8. Chaffinch
Chaffinches are another common winter garden bird you’ll be sure to spot in the UK! The bird is even present in urban spaces, which it has adapted to very well. They enjoy eating seeds and have a uniquely rounded beak.
The males have a light orange chest, while the females are usually mostly brown. You will usually notice them jumping around under bushes and hedges or thick plants in your garden.
9. Brambling
Bramblings migrate to the UK in the winter, meaning the ones you see were likely born in another country. They travel in huge flocks, which often contain many different species of birds. You can identify a Brambling by its orange body and greyish blue head for the males.
Bramblings are always on the move and collecting nesting materials. You can help them out by leaving some branches and leaves in your garden for them to take. This video shows you exactly how to identify this species:
10. Bullfinch
Bullfinches have a stunning red-orange chest, complimented by their darker wings and back. They are beautiful- making it very exciting to find one in your garden! They are easy to spot and identify by the orange on their bodies.
Fun Fact: The bullfinch is one of the UK’s shyest birds.
These birds prefer to hang out in the trees and are skittish in the garden. They stay near places where they can quickly hide when they see your approach. However, you can still promptly notice them due to their bright stomachs. The bullfinch travels in pairs or tiny flocks and gets its name from the shape of its bill.
11. Dunnock
The dunnock bird you’ll often see around your garden, especially during the wintertime. The birds do tend to hide, making them a bit harder to spot. Dunnocks enjoy hiding under hedges, bushes, and other vegetation. You will want to keep an eye out for them jumping around under your plants.
Dunnocks tend to stay by themselves and are quiet. However, they may bicker amongst themselves, especially when two males come into contact with each other. Overall, the dunnock will do its best to avoid you.
Some people confuse the Dunnock with Sparrow, but I explain the difference between them in a separate article.
See the Dunnock in slow motion on my feeder: Birds on the feeder in my garden – Slow motion
12. Goldcrest
Goldcrests are tiny birds with a yellow stripe on their head- it’s their most notable feature. These birds eat tiny bugs since they’re too small to have more significant foods in their diets. You can help them by leaving out plenty of freshwater sources. For food, the birds will hunt for bugs in the gaps in trees.
These small birds prefer to spend their time in the trees. They make their homes in pine trees with their flock. The flocks gather together during the winter, allowing you to see large numbers of these birds at once in your garden.
13. Redwing
Redwings travel far to reach the UK in the winter in search of food. There’s a good chance that the redwings you see come from Russia. These birds travel in large, mixed flocks during the night. They also have a brown stripe over their eye and red wings- hence their name.
The redwing is also the smallest type of thrush you will find in the UK. These birds love berries and worms, going well out of their way to find them during the winter. However, if you want to leave them a treat, they would love to have some small pieces of apple!
14. Fieldfare
Fieldfares tend to travel in mixed flocks with redwings. They migrate together from northern Europe in search of berries and worms. With the two types of birds together, they can form massive communities in the wintertime.
They have more brown and yellow on their bodies than the redwings, making them stand apart. The fieldfare also has a particular song, which you can hear below:
15. Waxwing
Waxwings are stunning birds and travel to the UK in the winter. They have beautiful feathers and colourations, which look lovely in the snow. You will want to take a picture if you see one in your garden!
The waxwing gets its name from the yellow tip at the end of its wings. They also have black necks and white stripes on their feathers. Some years, you will see more of these birds than during others. They have what is referred to as “irruption years” when travelling to the UK searching for rowan berries.
How To Attract Birds in the Winter
Winter is hard for birds, but that makes your garden more appealing and easier to attract. As the temperature outside starts to go down, you can help birds make it through the winter. Unfortunately, their natural food sources will begin to dwindle- but you can help them by making your garden a welcoming place with plenty to eat. There are a few simple ways to do this:
- Don’t trim all of your gardens. Leaving a “mess” provides the birds with leaves and branches to build a shelter.
- Set out fresh water for bathing and drinking. Make sure to change it if the water freezes over.
- Provide the birds with a healthy food source. This will encourage them to return to your garden if they know there is a reliable food source.
Healthy Foods for Garden Birds
You want to make sure the food you offer the garden birds is nutritious. Providing them with plenty of vitamins will help them make it through the winter. Bread is not a good option since it has little nutritional content for birds.
Instead, you will want to offer the birds in your garden the following:
- Unsalted peanuts
- Sunflower seeds
- Cooked, unsalted rice
- Fruit
- Berries
- Homemade fat balls
When setting out food for birds, you may want to consider putting the food in bird feeders, so other animals can’t easily access it. If you’re leaving out fresh food, it’s also important to change it out every few days to prevent the food from spoiling or attracting bugs.
What You Shouldn’t Feed Garden Birds
You don’t want to give birds anything that contains large amounts of salt. It’s difficult for them to process and can even make them sick. Likewise, refrain from setting out any products with artificial flavourings, seasonings, spices, or additives, as these are equally difficult for birds to consume.
Additionally, you don’t want to feed them foods with a lot of cooking oils or fats. The healthiest options are natural fruits that have been deskinned, deseeded, and sliced into small, bite-sized pieces.
Finally, only set out fresh water for the birds, especially in a birdbath. Juices and milk are too hard for birds to digest or contain ingredients that are harmful to them. Plus, they can’t bathe in those options.
You may have to change out the water every few days as well. Avoid letting it freeze over or accumulate mud and debris, as this may deter birds from wanting to drink or bathe in it.
See Also
- What is the difference between Sparrow and Dunnock?
- Birds of Prey: South and South-East England
- What is the difference between Crow and Raven?
- Why Are Birds Scared of Humans?
- How to attract garden birds fast