10 Interesting Facts About British Garden Birds

Its a Friday, so in preparation of the weekend pub quiz, or if like me you have an innate desire to tell people bizarre and vaguely useless pieces of general knowledge with or without their asking, then this is the Friday garden birds blog for you. Ten interesting, amazing and (quite frankly) educational facts about the wild birds that we all love who live in our gardens.

A resident FSF Chaffinch 

1. House sparrows are seen in over 70% of British gardens but their population has declined by more than 60% in recent years (according to RSPB figures).
2. Blue tits were seen in 84% of gardens in the 2010 Birdwatch Census. Almost any garden with a peanut feeder will attract blue tits. 
3. Robins first appeared on Christmas cards during the Victorian era as they looked like postmen in their red tunics, who were known as "redbreasts". They also hold their territories by singing in Winter and so are associated with Christmas. 
4. Woodpeckers have long been associated with water, because it was believed that a woodpecker drumming signified rain. The woodpeckers of Great Britain must have been working over-time this Winter!
5. The goldcrest is the UK's smallest bird and has to eat its own weight in food every day to survive the winter days and nights. 
6. Starlings are the mimics of the bird world. They can incorporate the sounds of other birds, frogs and even mechanical noises into their song. They have even been known to mimic car alarms and mobile phone ring tones. 
7. Goldfinches are the interior decorators of the garden bird world. They sometimes use aromatic flowers to adorn their nests. Lovely.
8. The Pied Wagtail is one of the only garden birds that walks on the ground, most other birds hop.
9. The blackbird is the most widely seen bird in British Gardens, the male is black and the female is brown, so keep your eyes peeled. 
10. The Green Ring Necked Parakeet is Britain's only naturalised parrot. They are thought to have escaped from collections in London and bred in the wild, often found in large noisy flocks in Kent, Surrey and Sussex.

Blue Tits and Great Tits Enjoying a Snack

So, there you have it, ten interesting and educational facts from Flyte so Fancy about Britain's garden birds, ready to use at the drop of hat this weekend, to amaze all and sundry.

Thanks for Reading

James