House sparrows bathing in rainwater after a heavy shower
THE 10 birds most seen in the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch for 2022 were:
1. House sparrow
2. Blue tit
3. Starling
4. Woodpigeon
5. Blackbird
6. Robin
7. Goldfinch
8. Great tit
9. Magpie
10. Chaffinch
This year almost 700 thousand people across the UK took part, counting more than 11 million birds.
Outside the top 10, the jay moved up nine places to number 23, an increase of 73 per cent compared with 2021.
Big Garden Birdwatch results also reveal a small increase in greenfinch numbers compared with 2021.
This gives scientists a glimmer of hope that this might be the first signs of a popuation recovery, but only time will tell.
In recent years, the species has suffered a population crash (62 per cent since 1993) caused by a severe outbreak of the disease, Trichomonosis.
This infection is spread through contaminated food and drinking water, or by birds feeding one another with regurgitated food during the breeding season.
Garden owners can help slow transmission rates by temporarily stopping the provision of food if ill birds are seen and by making sure that garden bird feeders are cleaned regularly.
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