10 Rare British Garden Birds To Look Out For

The bird species that visit your garden will vary depending on your location, the size of your plot, what type of plants you grow and what supplementary bird food you offer. In some areas of the UK, birds such as tree sparrows and nuthatches might be relatively common in gardens, whereas in other places they are unlikely to be seen. The birds on the list below can be seen in gardens, but none is included in the top 20 species in the last two years of the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch.

When you see a bird that you don’t recognise in your garden, try to get a sense of how it relates to other more common species. Is it bigger or smaller than a blackbird? It is on the hanging feeders or the ground? Does it have a similar body shape or movement to other birds? What are its markings and its song or call? Is it a single bird or one of a flock? In this way you can get a sense of its characteristics and what sort of bird it is.

A photograph or quick sketch can help you identify it afterwards with a field guide or on a website. Apps like Merlin are helpful to identify bird song and joining a local group will introduce you to other people who watch birds in your area. Getting involved in the Big Garden Birdwatch is another great way to develop your ID skills, while joining a citizen science project like the British Trust for Ornithology’s BirdTrack enables you to learn more about different species and contribute to records across the UK.

With its conspicuous orange-buff crest, black eye stripe and red, white, black and gold markings on the wings and tail, the waxwing is one of our most flamboyant winter visitors. These striking birds travel to the UK in their