British gardens are a veritable playground for UK wildlife, providing the perfect landscape for natural beauty.
Wild birds are a big part of that beauty and add an inimitable element of organic charm to the scenery.
That being said, gardens aren’t a universal aviary of birds of each species and there are a few familiar faces that crop up with regularity in gardens across the country.
Here are five of the most common garden birds you can expect to find outside your window, accompanied by the best bird food to attract them.
Robins
With a tuneful song and a unique appearance, the unmistakable robin is one of the most recognisable garden birds in the UK.
Characterised by its bright red chest, this chirpy little bird can found hopping through your outdoor space throughout the year; however, the robin is often commonly associated with Christmas and wintertime.
While the adult robin is conspicuous by its red breast, the younger version is often distinguishable by their mottled brown plumage.
Bird Food for Robins
Robins feed mainly on insects and worms, with a particular fondness for mealworms. They are also partial to sunflower hearts.
House sparrow
Despite suffering a notable decline in some parts of the UK, the house sparrow is still one of Britain’s most well-known and recognisable garden birds.
Males are distinguishable by their grey head, black bib and colourful chestnut/black patterned sides, while the female is a pale brown with a stripe behind the eye.
The house sparrow has a stout beak for eating seeds that actually changes colour throughout the year, appearing yellow-brown in winter and turning black during the warmer months.
Bird Food for House Sparrows
While sparrows thrive on seeds and scraps, they are also particularly partial to red millet and equally love to dine on mealworms as well.
Woodpigeon
The woodpigeon is the largest and most common pigeon in the UK. Dressed predominantly in grey with a pinkish breast and streaks of white on the neck and wing, this plump bird is a common sight in parks and gardens nationwide.
Notable by its trademark cooing call, the woodpigeon is one of the larger residents you may commonly find in the garden and, as such, can push away smaller birds.
Woodpigeons are also distinguishable by their short legs and a full belly, while their audible wing clap upon flight is also a uniquely identifiable feature.
Bird Food for Woodpigeons
The woodpigeon dines on a variety of food, including seeds, leaves and grains. It’s also known to feed on fruit, peas and root crops, particularly wheat.
Blackbird
nother common resident of the UK garden, the blackbird is notable by its dark colour and bright orange beak. It also wears an orange ring around its eye.
Interestingly, despite the name inky implication of its name, the female of the species is actually brown with spots.
They can often be found leaping through lawns and hopping through leaves, singing a mellow song.
Bird Food for Blackbirds
Blackbirds have a varied diet throughout the year, commonly dining on berries in the winter and worms/grubs in the summer. Sultanas and mealworms are notable favourites.
Blue Tit
A colourful addition to the natural garden scenery, the blue tit is recognisable by its brightly coloured appearance.
Decked out with a white face that features a black “blindfold” stripe through the eyes, its yellow body plays host to colourful blue wings and a green-yellow back.
Often seen in flocks during the wintertime, the clever blue tit is also a primary offender of vandalising door-step milk bottle deliveries in search of a cheeky drink.
Bird Food for Blue Tits
Blue tits favour invertebrates in the summertime; however, they can be found eating a variety of insects and caterpillars, as well as a mixture of seeds and nuts.
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