Sussex residents invited to take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch this weekend

The Big Garden Birdwatch 2024 is taking place from 26 – 28.

People can take part by registering to take part on the RSPB’s website and then spending one hour over the weekend counting the birds that land in your garden, before submitting their results online or by post.

By taking part you will be playing a vital role in helping the conservation charity to understand how UK birds are doing.

A spokesperson for the RSPB said: “over half a million people took part in Big Garden Birdwatch 2023, counting a whopping 9.1 million birds. House Sparrows took the top spot, but counts of these chirpy birds are down by 57% compared to the first Birdwatch in 1979. In fact, we’ve lost 38 million birds from UK skies in the last 60 years. With birds facing so many challenges, it’s more important than ever to get involved in the Birdwatch. Every bird you do – or don’t – count will give us a valuable insight into how garden birds are faring.”

Song Thrush numbers are down by 80 percent since the survey began in 1979.

After House Sparrow, the second most common bird spotted in last year’s event was the Blue Tit, followed by the Starling. Wood Pidgeon and Blackbird.

You can sign up to get a free colour guide which will help you to identify common garden birds and learn how to attract them to your garden.

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