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Garden Bird Feeding Guide

We’ve been feeding Britain’s birds the best wild bird food for more than 80 years. We are different from many other suppliers of bird seed because we’re an award-winning specialist manufacturer that super-cleans, blends, packs and despatches its bird seeds from one building.

If you're unsure where to start, please select the first letter of the wild bird you are looking to feed and we'll suggest the most appropriate bird diets:

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Avocet

This large, elegant wader is the symbol of the RSPB, as it represents a great conservation success.

Barn Owl

Barn Owls are mostly nocturnal, but will also hunt at dawn and dusk, sometimes until the sun is high up. They hunt for small mammals like rats and voles, over fields and along roadsides.

Chiffchaff

The Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita) is a tiny leaf warbler, with olive-green and brown upperparts, white or very pale yellow underparts and their breast and flanks are yellow.

Crested Tit

It may not be a very colourful bird but it can be easily recognised with its distinctive short, spiky crest, black and white head and its black eye strip. Its bill is also black, the upperparts are grey-brown and the underparts are whitish.

Cuckoo

With its slim build, pointed wing, bluish-grey plumage and long tail the Cuckoo could be confused with a Hawk. The male’s call is unique, and the female’s is an infrequent trill

Eider

The Eider is a duck of coastal and rocky areas, much commoner in the north of England, Scotland and Ireland, where it breeds

Firecrest

Scarce in Britain and most frequently seen in migration. Mainly resides at coastal locations in the south and the east, but small numbers also breed in the south of England.

Kingfisher

The Kingfisher is one of Britain’s most beautiful birds. Can be found near lakes, canals, and rivers all over Britain except Scotland, where it is restricted to the south.

Lapwing

Lapwings are the most common and therefore most familiar of the larger British plovers. It can be sometimes known as the Green Plover because of its plumage or 'Peewit' after its call.

Lesser redpoll

The Lesser redpoll (Acanthis cabaret) is a tiny passerine bird from the finch family (fringillidae). Its upperparts are a warmish brown with darker streaks, wing bars are a buff colour, dark streaks on the whitish flanks and a dark brown forked tail. However, their most striking feature is their red foreheads (from which the common name ‘red-poll’ is derived).

Linnet

The common Linnet (Linaria cannabina) is a small passerine bird and a member of the finch family. It is a slim bird with a long tail. Its upper parts are brown, throat is a sullied white and its bill is grey. In the summer the male has a grey nape, red head-patch and red breast.

Mallard

A common wild duck not only in Britain but in many other parts of the world. Widespread on nearly all watery places from coastal areas to tiny ponds.

Nightingale

The Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos) is a small brown bird with a coppery tail with uniform brown plumage and a large dark eye. It is a summer resident mainly in the east and south of England.

Peacock

The term peacock is reserved for the male, the female being called a peahen and the young offspring are called peachicks. Peafowl are omnivores which means they will eat both vegetation and meat. Wild peacocks eat fruit, berries, grains, ants, flower petals and plants.

Puffin

One of Britain’s best-loved and recognised birds. Breeds most commonly in the north, on the coast, and on islands

StoneChat

A plump little bird slightly smaller than a Robin, it is a resident throughout Britain, particularly in coastal areas. It breeds on heathland and moors, especially where there are prickly shrubs

Wheatear

The Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) is a small passerine bird previously considered to be part of the thrush family (Turdidae); however, they are more commonly thought of as members of the flycatcher family, (Muscicapidae).

Willow Tit

Very similar in looks to the Marsh Tit, unfortunately in fast decline. Can be found in damp woodlands, hedges and, thickets in England, Wales and southern Scotland.

Willow Warbler

Has very similar plumage to the Chiffchaff but look out for brown legs as this usually indicates that it’s a Willow Warbler

Blackbird

The Blackbird is a member of the thrush family and is found throughout the British Isles, mainly in town parks and gardens. The Blackbird’s phrases are widely varied and rarely repeated. However, its alarm notes are loud and persistent if there are any predators close by.

Raven

The Raven (Corvus corax) is part of the crow family; it is a large intelligent bird and is all black in colour with long wings and a large bill, it also has a diamond –shaped tail. For their size, they are very acrobatic birds and they are known to make a variety of sounds such as a croaking noise or caw caw. They also like to imitate humans.

Blackcap

This is one of the hardiest of the warblers and is capable of enduring very cold spells of weather. With climate change, it is no wonder that it now overwinters in many parts of Britain, visiting garden feeders in search of food.

Blue Tit

This small acrobatic species is easily identified, as it is the only British bird with a blue crown. It is a common (but always welcome) garden bird coming to bird tables and hanging feeders of all descriptions.

Brambling

The Brambling is recognised by its russet-coloured upper-breast and white rump, the male having a black head with the female's being mottled black and brown.

Bullfinch

The Bullfinch male has beautiful uniform pinkish-red breast and under parts, a black head, tail and primary wing feathers and grey back. In flight, its white rump is particularly noticeable.

Chaffinch

Many of these will be Continental migrants that have come to Britain to escape the bitter European winters and will return as springtime approaches. Others may be those displaced from their previous feeding areas on stubble fields. When we examine our breeding population the overall position is little different from other native finches.

Coal Tit

This is the smallest tit found in Britain and easily distinguished from other tits with black caps and white cheeks by its conspicuous white nape.

Collared Dove

Easily identified by its fawn colouration with brown flight feathers, it has a narrow black collar around the nape but which is absent in juvenile birds.

Common Gull

Easily identified as the smaller and gentler version of the herring gull and equally fond of live foods, insects and chips!

Dunnock

Being mainly brown with a black streaked back and underside, this small bird is both quiet and unobtrusive. It can be mainly found on its own, hopping along the edges of a flower bead or bush and although not as melodic as the Robin it can be heard even on the dullest days

Fieldfare

The Fieldfare can be recognised from its 'thrush' shape and its grey crown, nape and rump along with a chestnut-brown back. As a bird which is more used to the isolated conditions of the far north of Scandinavia

Goldcrest

The Goldcrest is the UK’s joint smallest bird, sharing the accolade with the Firecrest.

Goldfinch

We’re five times more likely to see a Goldfinch in our gardens according to BTO figures. The Goldfinch is recognised from its bright red face, which contrasts strongly with the black and white head and yellow wing bars.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

The great spotted has become the most familiar woodpecker due to regularly visiting bird-tables in observers' gardens.

Great Tit

The range of the Great Tit extends from Britain in the west through Europe and Asia as far as Java and the Lesser Sundas in Indonesia.

Green Woodpecker

The Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis) is a member of the woodpecker family (Picidae). It is one of three types of woodpecker and is the largest.

Greenfinch

This is a popular garden visitor and likes to feast on many seed mixes, including black sunflower seeds. They are also very fond of insects too! Garden conifers are their favourite place to nest.

Grey Partridge

Once common but now has Red Status.

Hawfinch

The UK’s largest finch. About to benefit from Natural England’s Species Recovery Programme (SRP) for 2013/14. Red Status.

House Sparrow

This is another species that has declined catastrophically in the last few years and is now completely missing from areas where it was once the most common species around.

Jackdaw

The Jackdaw has adapted to both town and country life and is found throughout the British Isles. In size it is smaller than its black cousins, the Crows and Rooks, but larger than the Blackbird.

Jay

When garden birders first catch sight of a Jay they sometimes report back that they have seen an exotic bird in their garden. It’s very likely it was a Jay.

Long-Tailed Tit

In recent years Long-tailed Tits have copied the hanging feeder habits of the Blue and Great Tits and now visit feeders frequently especially during cold weather.

Magpie

A very popular bird and becoming more so as numbers appear to be increasing. Resident and generally distributed in England and Wales but scarce in parts of Scotland

Marsh Tit

The Marsh Tit, contrary to its name, has no real preference for marshes and is more frequently found in open and broadleaved woodland as well as rural gardens.

Mistle Thrush

The Mistle Thrush is the largest of the thrush family found in Britain. It is mainly grey-brown and has larger breast spots than the Song Thrush and white tips to the outer-tail feathers.

Nuthatch

Nuthatches are the only tree-creeping British birds with long, straight, pointed bills. They have blue-grey upper parts and a long black stripe through the eye.

Pheasant

The pheasant is an introduced species originating from SW Asia and unmistakable by its large size, attractive colouration and long pointed tail.

Grey Wagtail

The grey wagtail has slate grey upper parts and a strong yellow under-tail. In flight its tail is longer than those of pied and yellow wagtails and it looks exceptionally narrow at the base.

Pied Wagtail

There are 3 common species of British Wagtail. They all look very different and have different habitat preferences. Breeds all over Britain, often - buy not always - form large roosting flocks in winter gathering in urban areas such as factories or carparks.

Quail

The UK’s only migrant gamebird.

Redwing

The Redwing is another winter visitor that breeds in mountainous open birch forest of the far north of Scandinavia but there are a few that breed in Scotland.

Reed Bunting

The Reed Bunting, once common in the countryside particularly near water and reed beds, has become much rarer in recent years. It can still be found in the remoter areas of wet lowland Britain and on many of the wildlife reserves where reed beds are present.

Robin

The Robin is a common favourite with most people and one of the easiest to recognise. It has a bright red breast, face, throat and cheeks edged with grey, has a white belly and brown upper parts. What do Robins eat? Find out here:

Rock Dove

The relation of domestic pigeons seen in towns all over the world.

Rook

Gregarious and often seen with Jackdaws.

Siskin

The Siskin is Britain's smallest finch and a bird commonly associated with coniferous forests where it usually breeds. It has greenish coloured plumage, streaked dark brown to black, the male having brighter and darker colouration with a black forehead and chin patch and a black tipped tail. Females and juveniles are duller with more streaking.

Skylark

The Skylark (Alauda arvensis) is a small brown bird and is a member of the Lark family. It is a streaky brown colour with a small crest, the tail is white-sided and the wings also have a rear white edge that is visible in flight.

Song Thrush

The Song Thrush is at present a rare sight for British birdwatchers and it may be another species that has suffered from changes in farming practice.

Spotted Flycatcher

The name says it all: a champion flying insect catcher. On the RSPBs Red List.

Starling

Britain's Starling population was once considered to be of pest proportions but it is no coincidence that it has become quite rare since drastic changes have taken place in farming practice.

Swallow

Swallows have dark blue backs, red throats, pale under parts and long tail streamers. They are extremely agile in flight and spend most of their time on the wing.

Tree Sparrow

Once a common bird of orchards and country gardens, the Tree Sparrow is now a very rare species in Britain. This contrasts widely with the same species at the other end of its range in South East Asia where it is very common even in large cities.

Treecreeper

The Treecreeper is resident in woods, parks, and gardens throughout Britain, in quite large numbers, but can be hard to find.

Waxwing

The Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) is a passerine bird whose characteristic crest is mostly a reddish-brown with a small black mask round its eye with white and yellow in the wings punctuated with a yellow-tipped tail. Red highlights can be seen on some feathers on the wings which look like sealing wax and this is how the name Waxwing came about.

Woodpigeon

The Woodpigeon is the most widespread of Britain's pigeons and considered a pest by many farmers for the damage it creates to agricultural crops.

Wren

It is surprising how common the tiny wren is but it breeds throughout Britain and may have as many as eight youngsters to a brood.

Yellowhammer

The bright yellow plumage of the adult male Yellowhammer along with his reddish-brown upper parts and white outer tail feathers easily distinguish him from all other buntings and finches that he may be compared with.

Feeding wild birds offers a ray of hope in what can sometimes be a gloomy outlook for the UK's wildlife. It's clear that wildlife has been suffering in the countryside for many years and research from wildlife charities illustrates significant reductions in the wildlife population since the 1970s.

However, there is good news: some species have ventured into our gardens and have adapted fast to supplementary bird food - the Goldfinch population, for example, has thrived on the back of garden bird feeders filled with niger seed and sunflower hearts. Let's do more to encourage them and when they turn up, let's do our best to make it worth their while by feeding high-quality seed.

It's too easy to give in and say there's little we can do to prevent future losses, but that's not strictly true as our garden space combines can together create the UK's greatest nature reserve. If we're successful, we get to enjoy the company of our feathered friends up close while they dine on nature's finest super-clean seeds and bird diets.

Thank you for feeding the birds.

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