Big Garden Birdwatch shows starlings are struggling

THE UK-wide results from this year's Big Garden Birdwatch have revealed the Starling has dropped from third to fourth place as the lowest number ever was recorded.

- By Post & Times reporter

The House Sparrow held onto the UK top spot once again and Blue Tit remains at number two, with Woodpigeon and Blackbird making up the other top five most recorded species in UK gardens.

Nationwide, almost 600,000 people took part in the world’s largest garden wildlife survey, counting more than nine million birds of over 80 species during this year’s Big Garden Birdwatch - an amazing achievement. The survey provides a valuable snapshot of how our most common garden birds are faring and taking part is one important way to help birds and nature.

In Staffordshire over 11,200 took part and the top three birds recorded were House Sparrow, Blue Tit, and Woodpigeon. For a full breakdown of county results, visit: the RSPB website.

Starlings are medium-sized birds with glossy plumage that has a purple and green sheen, often with white spots during winter. They are also excellent mimics and can make a huge variety of tweets, cheeps and clicks. They can be found across the UK with their numbers swelling during winter when birds arrive from northern Europe, gathering together to perform spectacular murmurations.