Can you tell the difference between a house sparrow and a dunnock? What about a chaffinch and a goldfinch? This level of bird species knowledge is potentially at risk in the UK, as the disconnect between humans and the animal kingdom continues. To create an opportunity for members of the public to pause and notice nature and to be part of a national data gathering record, the RSPB’s annual Big Garden Birdwatch returns again this coming weekend from Friday 23 January to Sunday 25 January.
Hundreds of thousands of members of the public are once again expected to gather in their local gardens, parks and green spaces for an hour to record how many bird species land in their ‘patch’. Last year, almost 600,000 people took part in the Birdwatch, counting over 9.1 million birds.
A spokesperson for the RSPB told Bylines Cymru:
“The Big Garden Birdwatch is incredibly important because it gives us a real-time snapshot of how our most familiar birds are faring across the UK. Taking place once a year, it’s the largest wildlife survey of its kind, with thousands of people taking part”.
They continued by praising the efforts of the public who give their time to track the rise and fall of UK birds.
“What makes it so powerful is that it’s built on public participation – the collective effort of people watching birds in their own gardens, balconies, parks and local green spaces. This long-running dataset, now spanning over four decades, allows the RSPB to track long-term population trends, spot worrying declines early, and build a clearer picture of how pressures like habitat loss, climate change and changing land use are affecting our wildlife.
“Just as importantly, it helps people feel connected to nature. Spending an hour watching birds often sparks curiosity, care and action – which is vital if we’re going to turn around the declines we’re seeing in nature.”
Last year’s results
Although in 2025, house sparrows were the most counted, with the population amounting to 1.2 million, concerns continue over the decline in the count of these birds, as they are down 60% compared to the first Birdwatch in 1979. Another species causing concern is that of song thrushes, with counts being 83% down since surveys began. The RSPB are evaluating how bird species are responding to the escalating threats from both climate change and pressures on their habitats.
The RSPB commented further, arguing that these trend patterns were crucial.
“This year we’re continuing to build on that long-term picture, particularly looking at how birds are responding to a changing climate and ongoing habitat pressures.
“We’re interested in seeing whether recent trends continue – for example, whether some once-common garden birds are still declining, or whether any of the trends are seeing a change in direction.”
Building a human connection with nature
Shockingly, recent studies have suggested that, “Fewer children than ever know the names for plants and animals”, with the suggestion that 79% of children between the ages of five and 16 cannot identify a woodpecker, while 65% cannot identify a blue tit. More surprisingly perhaps, this survey suggested that only 23% of the 1,000 children asked, could not identify a robin.
On the other hand, regular bird spotters, mother and son pair Tamsin and Jem Fauntkane, told Bylines Cymru that spotting nature helped keep family memories alive, as well as being a way to start new traditions. Jem said, “The reason that I look for birds is because my great-grandfather was really into birds and when I do the count, it helps me remember him.”
Tamsin continued, adding, “This morning, on our regular dog walk, we heard and then saw a song thrush. Using modern day apps is a fantastic way of restoring and building the familiarity with the animal kingdom, which might otherwise be lost.”
She expanded on her fear of nature being lost, “I was really disturbed several years ago to find out that words about wildlife and nature, such as magpie, starling, wren and raven were omitted from the Oxford Junior Dictionary in 2007, in order to be replaced by technological vocabulary such as blog and chatroom. I feel that society’s disconnect from nature will only accelerate the human destruction of nature.”
Birds have appeared in our stories, our language and our religious symbolism for centuries, but are we now in danger of not only losing the birds from our skies, but also the foundations of our relationship with the animal kingdom? Conservation efforts must focus on how to preserve and protect the diverse and complex bird species that share our country and planet.
Targeted conservation
For the 2026 count, the RSPB acknowledged that there were particular species that they were planning to focus on in order to target protection measures.
“There are several species we’re paying close attention to. Birds like house sparrows, starlings and greenfinches, which were once regular features of UK gardens, have seen significant declines over the years, and the Big Garden Birdwatch helps us keep track of how they’re doing.”
The RSPB hope that this coming weekend’s Big Garden Birdwatch will urge more people than ever to take part to help build the picture of how our garden birds are faring and what can be done to better support conservation efforts in the UK. They argued that having as much data as possible could help them target conservation action, not only in the short-term, but also for the future.
“Understanding both the winners and the species under pressure helps guide conservation action where it’s needed most.”
The Big Garden Birdwatch takes place this weekend from Friday 23 to Sunday 25 January.
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