Top 10 common garden birds and how best to attract them

Here’s a look at the top 10 garden birds in the UK, along with practical tips for inviting these feathered friends to make your outdoor space their home.

One of the UK’s most beloved garden birds, the robin, is known for its bright red breast and friendly nature. Robins are year-round visitors with a melodic song that is especially prominent in winter. Robins feed close to the ground and love mealworms and suet, especially during the colder months when food is scarce. They also need shrubs or hedges for nesting, so providing dense, native plants will encourage these charming birds to visit regularly.

Blue tits, with their distinctive blue and yellow plumage, are common visitors and are particularly active, often seen hopping through branches or hanging upside down as they forage. They are attracted to peanuts, sunflower hearts, and fat balls, which provide the energy they need. Blue tits also appreciate nest boxes, especially in spring, as they are cavity nesters. By setting up a bird feeder stocked with seeds and fat balls, you’ll likely see them in your garden often.

Another regular visitor, the great tit, is a larger relative of the blue tit and can be identified by its striking black cap and a song that’s easy to recognise. Great tits thrive on sunflower seeds, mealworms, and suet, and they are particularly drawn to well-stocked feeders. These adaptable birds are easy to attract with a mix of seeds, which will keep them returning to your garden year-round.

Once ubiquitous, the house sparrow population has declined significantly, yet they’re still common in many UK gardens, especially in suburban and urban areas. Sparrows are highly social birds that love mixed bird seed, and they prefer to feed in groups. Offering multiple feeding spots in your garden—particularly with a variety of seeds and grains—will encourage house sparrows to gather, bringing a lively flock to your yard.

Another colourful addition to the garden is the goldfinch, with its red face and striking golden-black wings. Goldfinches have a delicate song and a playful personality, making them a delight to observe. They are especially attracted to nyjer seeds, which require a specialized feeder with small holes. These birds also enjoy sunflower hearts and are often drawn to gardens with teasels or thistles, as they’re fond of foraging for small seeds.

The chaffinch, easily recognized by its blue-grey cap and pinkish belly, is another frequent visitor. These birds prefer feeding from the ground or bird tables rather than traditional hanging feeders. They are partial to a mix of seeds and grains, especially sunflower hearts and cracked corn. Scatter these seeds on a ground tray or platform feeder to make your garden appealing to chaffinches.

Blackbirds are often found in gardens across the UK and are known for their glossy black feathers (males) or speckled brown coloration (females). Blackbirds sing beautiful, flute-like songs that can be heard early in the morning. They favour mealworms, fruit, and seeds scattered on the ground or on low feeders. To attract blackbirds, you could also plant berry-bearing bushes like holly or elderberry, which provide them with both food and shelter.

Wood pigeons, the largest common garden birds, are known for their distinctive white neck patches and soft cooing call. These gentle, ground-feeding birds are not picky eaters and will enjoy almost any seed mix, including grains and scraps. Wood pigeons do well with ground feeders due to their size, and they’re also drawn to bird baths for drinking and bathing.

Often mistaken for sparrows, dunnocks are small, brown birds with a greyish head and are a bit shy by nature. Dunnocks prefer small seeds and are ground feeders, so scattering seeds in a quiet corner of your garden, preferably near shrubs, will make them feel safe enough to visit. Having dense vegetation or hedges nearby can provide the cover dunnocks need to feel comfortable.

Finally, the tiny wren, with its unique upward-cocked tail and surprisingly loud song, is one of the UK’s smallest garden birds. Wrens primarily eat insects, so a garden that’s rich in plant diversity and free of pesticides will attract them naturally. They may also enjoy suet crumbs or mealworms if sprinkled in hidden areas where they can forage undisturbed.

To create a bird-friendly garden overall, it’s essential to offer fresh water, especially during hot summer days and freezing winter periods. A bird bath with clean water for drinking and bathing will keep birds coming back. Additionally, a variety of food types—such as seeds, suet, peanuts, and mealworms—can help attract a range of species. For nesting and shelter, incorporate hedges, bushes, and birdhouses. By providing food, water, shelter, and safe nesting spaces, your garden will become a haven for these wonderful British birds, helping to support local bird populations and enriching your outdoor experience.