Take Part in the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch
What is the Big Garden Birdwatch?
For over 40 years, the RSPB have encouraged the British public to count the number of birds they see in their gardens or on their balconies, for an hour over a specific weekend at the end of January. The data is then used to detect trends and challenges facing wildlife, such as declines in certain species.
It is obviously completely free to take part, making it a great family activity to do this weekend.
How do I take part?
Choose an hour over the weekend of 29-31st January 2021 – this can be any hour of your choosing. Then count the number of different birds you see in your garden, or on your balcony over this hour. Be sure to only count birds that land rather than those in flight.
To avoid counting the same bird twice, it is recommended to count the highest number of birds of any one type rather than noting each bird individually.
How do I submit my results?
Once you have taken part in the Big Garden Birdwatch, you can submit your results to the RSPB here. You have until 19th February 2021 to submit your data.
How can I identify the birds that visit?
The RSPB have lots of printable resources available in order to help you identify some of your visiting feathered friends. These can be viewed on screen or printed out for reference.
Ideas to make the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch fun for kids
- Make your own bird feeder to attract birds to your garden. This could be as simple as recycling an old plastic bottle or more complicated projects like this!
- After your garden count is finished, make a poster of all the different birds you spotted. This could be hand drawn, or on screen using pictures from an internet image search. Pic Collage is a great free app that has a built in image search included – perfect for creating posters!
- Create a bar chart of all the different birds you spotted.
- Draw or paint a picture of one of the bird species you spotted in your garden.
- Research some of the bird species and make a fact file about them.
Did you join in the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch? Let us know in the comments below.
