Dorset's most common bird declared by RSPB after annual bird watch

More than 9,500 people took part in this year’s Big Garden Birdwatch, organised by the RSPB, with the house sparrow taking the top spot for 20 years running. 

Twitchers also logged starlings and blue tits as being up there amongst the most common birds in Dorset. 

Now in its 44th year, the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch is the world’s largest garden wildlife survey and gives the RSPB insights into how our garden birds are fairing. 

Since the RSPB’s first Big Garden Birdwatch, in 1977, more than 38 million birds have been lost from our skies, and this shocking figure is only set to rise without urgent action.

A robin in Dorset (Image: Sarah Abbott)

Although nearly 1.5 million house sparrows were spotted across the January weekend, the RSBP estimates nearly 60 per cent of the species has dropped since the survey began. 

RSPB chief executive Beccy Speight said: “With so many people sending in their sightings over the weekend from across the UK, Big Garden Birdwatch really helps paint a picture of how our garden birds are faring.

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“While we celebrate the 20-year stint of the house sparrow at number one, the numbers speak for themselves when it comes to the startling declines of some of our once common birds. 

“We are in a nature and climate emergency. We’ve lost 38 million birds from our skies in the last 50 years.” 

Mandarin duck in Parley (Image: Rachel Randall)

This year’s results have also highlighted the vulnerabilities of garden birds, from weather changes to disease.  

Long-tailed tits are susceptible to harsh weather conditions, with the numbers recorded fluctuating since the Big Garden Birdwatch began, highlighting the fragility of some of our smaller garden birds.

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Meanwhile, greenfinches and chaffinches have been badly affected by a disease known as trichomonosis.  

As a result, the UK chaffinch population has declined by 34 per cent over the last decade, while greenfinches have declined by 65 per cent over the same time frame.  

Trichomonosis can be spread by contaminated food and drinking water and garden owners can help by ensuring that feeders, bird tables and bird baths are moved around to stop food waste building up.