spotting guide

Chaffinch Chaffinch Pretty, cute and very common, but too shy to come and say hello. About Breeding Male chaffinches have a Chaffinch breeding season striking appearance and can is between April and July. be identified by their pinkish They typically lay one brood breast and underparts, containing 4-5 . blue crown, chestnut back Eggs vary in colour and can be and yellow tinted feathers. blue/green or red/brown. Females have more brown Average Height = 14cm colouring and paler wings. Average Wingspan = 26cm Did you know? Diet = Insects and seeds In the UK there are 6.2 million = Woodland, farmlands breeding pairs of Chaffinches and gardens

Blackbird Like their song, the Blackbirds are bold characters, with Blackbird soundtrack for all the comings and goings in the garden. About Breeding Males are almost completely Can lay up to five broods of black with the exception of 3-4 eggs between March and a yellow bill and ring around September. Nests are usually their eye. Despite their formed of grass and twigs and name females are actually located in the fork of a tree or predominantly brownie-red bush. Eggs are green/blue in in colour. colour with red blotches. Average Height = 24cm The incubation period usually Average Wingspan = 36cm lasts between 13 and 14 days. Diet = Mainly insects, fruit & berry Did you know? Habitat = Woodlands, gardens and parks Blackbirds love to sunbathe with their wings spread out

1 Bird spotting guide

Wren Wren A tiny, busy and hardy bird. For such a small bird it has a remarkably loud voice.

About Breeding Wrens are very small which Wrens will usually lay and raise are mostly brown in colour. two broods between March and August. Nests are made from moss and grass and are usually Did you know? positioned in a hole close to the Tiny birds like Wrens sleep ground. Eggs are white in colour Average Height = 10cm together at night for warmth. with faint brown specks. 63 Wrens were once found in Average Wingspan = 15cm a single nest box! Diet = Insects and small seeds Habitat = Woodlands and areas with lots of undergrowth

Song Thrush Song Thrush A Song Thrush only sings one song, but it’s always a pleasant song to hear. About Breeding Song thrushes are brown in Breeding season is between colour with a speckled breast. March and September. Song Thrushes will lay between Average Height = 23cm two and four broods each Average Wingspan = 34cm Did you know? containing 3-5 pale blue eggs. Song Thrushes love eating snails, Incubation is 14-15 days. Diet = Insects and fruits so they are always a welcome Habitat = Woodlands, farmland visitor for gardeners and shrubberies of gardens

Greater Spotted Woodpecker The Greater Spotted Woodpecker, although distinctive Greater in colour, likes to keep himself to himself, which makes Spotted spotting him an even bigger treat! Woodpecker About Breeding Great Spotted Woodpeckers Breeding season takes place can be identified by their black between April and July. and white plumage and red These birds will excavate a hole in under tail. Males and females a tree to lay their eggs, which are can be identified because males white in colour. Each season, Great have a red marking on their Spotted Woodpeckers, will typically nape whilst the females do not Average Height = 22cm lay one brood containing 4-6 eggs. Average Wingspan = 36cm have this. The incubations period is 14-16 days. Diet = Insects, some seeds, peanuts Did you know? and suet Woodpeckers can peck up Habitat = Woods, suburban to 20 times per second, woodland and gardens sometimes getting into the region of 8,000-12,000 a day! 2 Bird spotting guide

Bullfinch Bullfinch This shy, petite bird has a striking contrast of pinky red breast to black-as-night head makes for an enchanting sight in the garden. About September. Nests are made of Male Bullfinches can be easily twigs and rootlets and tend to be identified by their bright pink positioned in a secure location, breast and grey back, whilst the under thick cover. Bullfinches can females can be identified by their lay up to three broods in a season Average Height = 16cm pale pinkie/orange breast. with each containing 4-5 eggs. Average Wingspan = 26cm Eggs are blue with even darker Diet = Seeds, fruits and shoots Breeding blotches. The incubation period is Bullfinch breeding season Parents also feed insects to young birds 14-16 days. takes place between April and Habitat = Woodland, farmlands, also gardens but they tend to hide under cover Did you know? A Bullfinch’s heart beats 400 times a minute. That’s 5 times faster than a humans!

Coal Coal Tits prefer to spend time in flocks, fluttering between woodland, gardens and orchards. About Nests are typically made of Coal Tits have a black cap, white moss, hairs and wool and are cheeks, black and white back located in tree hollows or nest and pinkie/orange underparts. boxes. These birds can lay up to two broods in a season, each Breeding Coal Tit breeding season takes containing 9-10 white eggs with Average Height = 12cm place between March and July. brown speckles. Incubation Average Wingspan = 19cm lasts 14-16 days. Diet = Insects and small seeds Habitat = Woodlands and gardens Did you know? Coal Tits are great at hiding food, but they aren’t very good at remembering where they’ve left it!

Goldfinch If you see one, you can be sure there will be a whole Goldfinch charm of them soon. A delight to watch, with the gold flash wing and red face, they’re easy to spot darting around the garden branches. About Breeding Goldfinches can be recognised Breeding season is from April to by the distinctive yellow flashes September. Goldfinches will lay on their wings and red white and up to three broods in a season, black markings on their faces. each with 4-6 eggs. Goldfinch nests are made from moss, Average Height = 12cm Did you know? roots and spider silk. They are Average Wingspan = 24cm usually positioned within a bush Goldfinches decorate the Diet = Small seeds and some insects or tree. Eggs are pale blue with outside of their nests with Habitat = Woodland, farmland, open red markings and incubation colourful flowers countryside and gardens takes between 13 and 15 days. 3 Bird spotting guide

Great Tit They may not be very big, but that doesn’t stop him bossing around the other birds. Proud and loud, with a hymn book full of songs. About Breeding Great Tits have black and white Breeding takes place between heads, a yellow breast with a black March and July. Nests are made stripe and a green back. from grass, moss, wool, hair and feathers. Great Tits will lay one brood of 7-9 eggs which are white Average Height = 14cm with brown specks. Average Wingspan = 24cm Did you know? In winter Great Tits join with Blue Tits Incubation takes 13-15 days. Diet = Insects, seeds and fruit and others to form roaming flocks Habitat = Woodland, gardens and urban which scour gardens and countryside areas for food

Long Tailed Tit Long Most often seen moving in groups in Autumn. Tailed A unique and pretty sight. Tit About They typically lay just one Can be identified by their fluffy brood of 6-8 eggs which are plumage which is mostly black either completely white or and white and their very long tail. marked with little red specks. Nests are impressive as they Breeding Breeding season takes place are mostly enclosed with a Average Height = 14cm between March and June. small opening near the top. Average Wingspan = 18cm They are constructed from Diet = Insects and small seeds, they moss, cobwebs and feathers. Incubation takes 15-18 days. also like suet based products Did you know? Habitat = Woodlands and gardens A Long Tail Tit’s tail is bigger than its body

Blue Tit Blue Tit Gutsy and resourceful, a regular at your bird table and happy to make your garden their home.

About grass, hair and feathers and are Blue Tits have a mostly white usually located in a tree hollow or face with blue and green a nest box. They usually lay one plumage and yellow underparts. brood containing 1-10 eggs, which Breeding are white with small brown/red The Blue Tit breeding season blotches. takes place between March and The incubation period is 13-15 days. July. Nests are made of moss, Average Height = 12cm Average Wingspan = 18cm Did you know? Blue Tit parents may visit their nests up Diet = Insects, seeds and fruits to 900 times a day to feed their young Habitat = Woodlands and gardens 4