Bird Information

This page shows information about local birds in the area and what they eat, including:

Robins, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jay, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Goldcrest, Blue Tit

Marlow

Robin, Bluetit, Sparrow

What is common in your area?

Wycombe

Bluetit, Chaffinch

Beaconsfield

House sparrow, Goldfinch, Wren

Amersham

House sparrow, Bluetit, Goldfinch

Birds

Food for Small Birds

A variety of seeds, including sunflower seeds and Nyjer seeds (mainly favoured by finches are great energy sources.

Mealworms are a great protein source for insect-eating birds like wrens, bluebirds, and sparrows.

Suet is a high-fat food that is good for birds, particularly in winter, and can be provided year-round.

Fruits and Berries are also good, apples are a great choice (however, you should remove the seeds as these may be toxic to your bird visitors).

Get to know the birds:

Green Woodpecker

-Largest UK breeder

-Bright green, red crown and a black 'moustache'

-Laughing call; Mainly eats ants (strong beak/sticky tongue)

-Eats seeds/fruits in winter

-Dominant at feeders

-Woodland habitat; Green listed (but declined 33% 2013-2023)

Great Spotted Woodpecker

-It's feathers are black, white and red

-Common in UK

woodlands/gardens

-Drumming call

-Primarily eats insects; Also feeds on nuts, seeds, bird eggs

Jay

-Pinkish-brown plumage, electric-blue/black barred wing patch

-Harsh raspy call

-Favours broadleaf/coniferous woodlands

-Primarily eats acorns, nuts, seeds

-Also eats insects, fruit, eggs, nestlings, small mammals;

-Hoards food in winter

Chiffchaff

-Small olive brown

-Flits through trees (tail wagging);

-Dark legs, pale eye stripe

-Eats insects (from trees or in flight)

-Distinguished from willow warbler by song

-Breeds across Europe/Asia

Blackcap

-Males: black cap

-Females/juveniles: chestnut-brown cap; Greyish body

-Eats Insects/caterpillars/fruit (summer); Berries/fruit (winter)

-May eat garden scraps/ peanuts (overwintering)

-Growing numbers overwintering in UK

Robins

-Ground feeders (place food low)

-Seasonal diet: Insects/mealworms (spring/summer, protein)

-Berries/seeds/suet (winter, energy)

-they eat chopped apple, raisins, sunflower seeds

-Soaked dried mealworm for young birds

Goldcrest

-Tiny insectivorous bird

-Eats small insects/invertebrates (spiders, moth eggs/larvae) from trees/shrubs; Feeds almost constantly (high metabolism)

-Winter diet: dormant insects/eggs/spiders, visits bird tables for suet/fat balls/cheese;

-Attract with mealworms, suet, fat balls, conifers

Blue Tit

-Varied diet:

-Spring/early summer: Insects/spiders/caterpillars (for chicks)

-Autumn: Seeds/berries/fruit (hawthorn, ivy)

-Winter: Seeds/berries

/suet/fat balls/sunflower hearts/peanuts/mealworms

-Frequent garden feeder visitors

Redwing (only in Winter)

-Eats berries (hawthorn, rowan, holly), invertebrates (snails, slugs, worms), fruit (fallen apples), sometimes seeds/mealworms

-Found in the countryside (woodland edges, orchards)

-Rarely visits gardens (driven by cold)

-Red-listed species

Fieldfare (only in Winter)

-Eats berries/fruit (hawthorn, holly, juniper, fallen fruit)

-Forages for insects/

invertebrates (earthworms) when the ground is frozen

-Eats fallen apples

-Found in the countryside

-Moves into towns/gardens in harsh weather

-Help by planting berry bushes, putting out halved apples