Which birds are most likely to appear?
Erithacus rubecula (Robi)
Appearance – A fat, round-looking bird with a characteristic red-orange face and breast, red-brown back and wings, olive-brown underparts and a black bill.
Habitat – A fixture in most British gardens, living on and around structures, houses, sheds and outhouses, and often also seen in hedges and bushes in parks and allotments. Very common in country orchards.
Food – Insects and larvae; robins often accompany gardeners when they are digging.
Nesting – Nests during spring in holes, nooks and crannies in sheds, outbuildings and trees, and normally has 2 broods per year.
Nesting – Nests during spring in holes, nooks and crannies in sheds, outbuildings and trees, and normally has 2 broods per year.
Comments – Robins are more or less tame in most town gardens, to the extent that they will come to within touching distance; the disadvantage is that they often fall prey to cats. The call is a sharp ‘tic-tic-tic-tic’. The similar species Turdus migratorius (American Robin) is common in gardens in the USA. Occasionally, migrant American robins are found in Europe and the UK.
Passer domesticus (House Sparrow)
Size – 13–15 cm (5–6 in) long.
Appearance – Plumage is black, brown, white and grey, with the male having more complex patterns on and around the head and neck than the female, and a grey crown. Habitat – Very common bird in British gardens, living on and around buildings and other structures such as sheds. Food – Seeds left over from the harvest, and from common weeds.
Nesting – Breeds from spring to late summer, sometimes nesting in hedges and holes in trees, but prefers holes, nooks and crannies in buildings. The fledglings take aphids and other insects from their parents.
Comments – In the countryside, house sparrows prefer to build dome- topped nests in trees. Industrial farming and the increased use of chemicals has resulted in greatly reduced numbers. Even so, the house sparrow has been described as the most widely distributed wild bird on the planet.
Size – 23–27 cm (9–11 in) long.
Appearance – The male has all black plumage and a yellow bill, while the female is more grey-brown with dappled grey-brown spots on the underparts. The female with her brown-black colour and blurred spots on the underparts can sometimes be mistaken for a thrush.
Habitat – Prefers open lowlands to dense woodland, but can be seen on woodland fringes as well as in gardens.
Food – Berries, worms and insects; will also eat kitchen scraps.
Nesting – Breeds from spring and has 2–3 clutches a year. Nests almost anywhere in hedges, in and on structures like sheds, in gutters and in roof eaves. Nest is built with grass leaves and feathers. Both parents feed the young for 2 weeks in the nest and 2 weeks out.
Comments – The moment you hear the beautiful ‘pink-pink-pink’ calll you will know that spring is just around the corner. The Blackbird is the national bird of Sweden
Turdus merula (Blackbird)
Size – 23–27 cm (9–11 in) long.
Appearance – The male has all black plumage and a yellow bill, while the female is more grey-brown with dappled grey-brown spots on the underparts. The female with her brown-black colour and blurred spots on the underparts can sometimes be mistaken for a thrush.
Habitat – Prefers open lowlands to dense woodland, but can be seen on woodland fringes as well as in gardens.
Food – Berries, worms and insects; will also eat kitchen scraps.
Nesting – Breeds from spring and has 2–3 clutches a year. Nests almost anywhere in hedges, in and on structures like sheds, in gutters and in roof eaves. Nest is built with grass leaves and feathers. Both parents feed the young for 2 weeks in the nest and 2 weeks out.
Comments – The moment you hear the beautiful ‘pink-pink-pink’ calll you will know that spring is just around the corner. The Blackbird is the national bird of Sweden
Turdus viscivorus (Mistle Thrush)
Size – 23–27 cm (9–11 in) long.
Appearance – Plumage is black, brown, white and grey, with speckled brown on white underparts. Differs from the similar Turdus philomelos (Song Thrush) in that it has white underwings and white on the outer tail feathers.
Habitat – Gardens, parks and woodland; likes trees and hedges.
Food – Slugs, small snails, worms, berries and insects; breaks open snails by bashing them against a tree, stone or post.
Nesting – Breeds from spring to summer, nesting in hedges and low trees. The fledglings take aphids and insects from their parents; family groups tend to stay together in neighbouring trees, bushes and gardens.
Comments – A good bird to have in your garden if you enjoy growing vegetables and are troubled by slugs and snails.
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