Big Garden Birdwatch 2024

Get ready to look for birds this weekend! This year’s Big Garden Birdwatch runs from 26 to 28 January, 2024: Big Garden Birdwatch is fun, free and for everyone.

Big Garden Birdwatch with Birda

For the second year running, Birda is supporting the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch by providing a fun and easy way for you to log your BGBW bird sightings using the Birda app.

For the Big Garden Birdwatch 2024 – running from the 26th to 28th Jan – we have created a simple and intuitive birding session flow that is unique to the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch. This will allow you to log all of your sightings in a timed session and conform to the Big Garden Birdwatch recording rules.

Once you have finished your Big Garden Birdwatch session on Birda, you will be prompted to submit your sightings via the RSPB’s website. You must submit what you see via the RSPB’s website if you want them to be included in the Big Garden Birdwatch results.

How to Take Part

1. Download the free Birda app

2. Click on the Big Garden Birdwatch header on Birda

You will only see this when you open the Birda app from the 26th to the 28th of Jan.

How to take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch using the Birda App

3. Review the guidelines on how to log what you see

4. Log your sightings

Logging Big Garden Birdwatch sightings using the Birda App

5. Save your session

Saving your Big Garden Birdwatch session in the Birda App

5. Submit your BGBW session to the RSPB

The Big Garden Birdwatch - How it started

By now you’ve probably at least heard of the Big Garden Birdwatch. It’s one of the largest citizen science projects around and has played a huge part in recording and reporting bird species all across the UK. It’s a project which has grown and evolved from its humble roots back in 1979. In this article we will tell you all about this amazing research project, and show you how you can participate in the Birdwatch yourself.

What is the Big Garden Birdwatch?

The Big Garden Birdwatch (BGBW) actually started out as an event for children, initiated by the RSPB and Blue Peter. The original birdwatch was managed by the postal service and participants would mail in their findings. Despite these fairly archaic methods, the first Big Garden Birdwatch was a huge success with hundreds of children taking part. The event continued in this way for 32 years before adults were finally invited to join in the count. Since the genesis of the Big Garden Birdwatch nearly 9 million hours have been spent watching garden birds and roughly 137 million birds have been counted! It is now the world’s largest wildlife survey and as many as half a million people regularly take part.

The birdwatch has become a hugely significant and important mass collection of data; providing a valuable snapshot into species numbers at the same time each year. It’s alerted people to the rise and fall of many birds. Song thrushes used to be a regular in British gardens in 1979 placing in tenth place but by 2019 numbers had seriously declined and came in twentieth. This change can allow organisations and the public to take action and the the success of great tits and long tailed tits is due in part to public awareness and people providing homes for these adorable birds.

The birdwatch has become a hugely significant and important mass collection of data; providing a valuable snapshot into species numbers at the same time each year. It’s alerted people to the rise and fall of many birds. Song thrushes used to be a regular in British gardens in 1979 placing in tenth place but by 2019 numbers had seriously declined and came in twentieth. This change can allow organisations and the public to take action and the the success of great tits and long tailed tits is due in part to public awareness and people providing homes for these adorable birds.

2024 is the 45th Big Garden Birdwatch and the success of the event is a testimony to all those who take part. Clearly this is a huge event in the birding world but what exactly is the event and how can you take part if you’ve never done so before?

How to take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch

The Big Garden Birdwatch doesn’t take place at the same time every year. Because it usually lines up with school’s first half of spring term. In 2023 the event took place on 27th-29th January, in 2022 it was between 28th and 30th January and in 2021 it was between 29th and 31st. For 2024 the Big Garden Birdwatch will take place on the 26th – 28th January so pop that in your diary!

Taking part is incredibly simple, all you need to do is sit and watch your garden or park for an hour during the Big Garden Birdwatch. What’s important is to only count the birds which are landing not flying past. What’s important is that you record the highest number of each species seen in the hour not the total number seen in the hour. 

You might also be inspired to take pictures of the birds you see during your Big Garden Birdwatch! You can find out even more about Garden Bird Photography from our helpguide.

As you’re watching keep a tally of the numbers of each species you can see in your green space. If you don’t know what each species of bird looks like then you can use Birda’s helpful ID features to narrow down what you’re looking at- you’ll be an expert by the end of your hour! You can register ahead of time through the RSPB’s website and once you’ve done your survey you can submit your findings to the RSPB through their website.

Birda has made it even easier to get involved though and you can log your results directly to the app. Not only do these result become collated into the full score, but they can also win you prizes for competitions and unlock achievements in the app.

The Big Schools' Birdwatch

Running parallel to the Big Garden birdwatch is the Big Schools’ Birdwatch. This project aims to get young people involved in citizen science projects by counting the species which are found around their schools. The principal is exactly the same and if you’d like to get involved with this then you can find lots of information on the RSPB’s website. Participants can also use Birda to log sightings for this event too!

Why it's important to get involved with the BGBW

In the last fifty years, Great Britain has lost around 38 million birds. In 2021, 70 bird species were added to the RSPB’s Red List for endangered species which means that 1 in 4 species in the UK is seriously threatened. There are numerous reasons for these declines; namely habitat loss and predation from pets but the big garden birdwatch can help inform researchers where to spend resources to help declining species. It’s not all doom and gloom though because, thanks to the information provided from the Big Garden Birdwatch, many species have been shown to be improving and recovering.

If you want to find out more about How to Attract Birds into your Garden, we have some useful advice and tips.

Big Garden Birdwatch results in 2023

In 2023, 540,000 birders got out and recorded in their gardens. You can also check out all these birds on Birda’s Species Guide. Let’s have a look at who made it into the top ten this year…

The Top 10

1. House Sparrow. Once again, the humble house sparrow got the top spot this year (for the 20th year in a row!). This shows consistently stable populations right across the UK which is great news.

2. Blue Tit. One of our most colourful birds also happens to be our second most common. Blue tit population have remained in this spot for the last three years.

3. Starling. Despite population declines all across the UK, the starling has retained its position at number three. These iridescent beauties are a family favourite and are able to mimic a range of different noises and calls.

4. Woodpigeon. Unsurprisingly, the wood pigeon holds its spot at fourth. Numbers have been steadily increasing over the years and despite appearing to be permanently startled, these birds are doing very well throughout the UK.

5. Blackbird. Certainly one of the easiest birds to recognise in the British isles, blackbirds have comfortably made the top ten list this year again.

6. Robin. Not only do robins sit at sixth place in the Big Garden Birdwatch, but they have also been voted the UK’s favourite bird – a well deserved accolade!

7. Goldfinch. In our opinion, the goldfinch is one of the most beautiful garden birds around and so it seems very fitting for it to be sitting at number seven for another year.

8. Great Tit. You’ll often be able to hear number eight before you see it: it’s recognisable call of “tee-cha, tee-cha” is common in most green spaces.

9. Magpie. The only corvid to make the top ten list, the magpies are doing well throughout the UK but their numbers have done particularly well in urban areas.

10. Long-Tailed Tit. After a brief stay of absence, the long tailed tit has managed to get itself back into number ten. An impressive result given that last year it sat at fifteenth. Populations of these delightful fluff-balls are increasing which is certainly good news.

So in summary...

The Big Garden Birdwatch is one of the largest citizen science projects on the planet and it’s a great way to get the whole family excited about birding whilst exploring our green spaces. Whether you’re at home, school or the park, the Big Garden Birdwatch offers a great excuse to get involved with nature. Birda makes it even easier to track and record your findings and by using the app you can enter yourself into exciting challenges and maybe even win some prizes! So what are you waiting for! Get out there and get birding!