‘Watch the Birdie’ for RSPB

In the past year, there has been a surge in interest in the nature on our doorsteps and many people have come to rely on garden birds to bring joy and comfort in these unsettling times.

This year’s event takes place on Friday to Sunday January 29 to 31.

People are being asked to spend just one hour watching and recording the birds in their garden, then send their results to the RSPB. Close to half a million people join in the Birdwatch every year across the UK. Just under 14,000 people from Northern Ireland took part last year.

Anne-Marie McDevitt, RSPB NI Head of Species, said: “By taking part in the Big Garden Birdwatch, you are helping to build an annual snapshot of how our birdlife is doing. It is only by us understanding how our wildlife is faring that we can protect it. We’ve noticed that more people have signed up now for the Birdwatch than had at this stage last year, which is fantastic. We know that nature is in crisis and together we can all take action to solve the problems facing it. Nature needs us.”

Just one hour every year for the last four decades has made the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch the world’s largest garden wildlife citizen science project. Now in its 42nd year, 144 million birds have been counted.

Last year’s results showed that house sparrows remained at the top of the Big Garden Birdwatch rankings in Northern Ireland, with an average of almost five sparrows being spotted in gardens. Collared doves flew into the top 10, replacing coal tits, while sightings of goldfinches and robins were up too.

Registration for Big Garden Birdwatch 2021 is open now. To sign up, visit www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch and to learn more about RSPB NI’s work, visit www.rspb.org.uk/nireland