Bird Facts
Sparrowhawks: Everything You Need To Know
The sparrowhawk is a truly beautiful bird, and many gardeners would delight at the sight of their mottled wings flapping around their gardens. However, as intriguing as they can be, sparrowhawks are one of Britain’s most common birds of prey, and this can spell trouble for other animals and smaller birds that you have grown accustomed to seeing in your garden. Knowing what a sparrowhawk …
Continue reading
Birds can fly at impressive speeds – but some are much faster than others. The Garden Wildlife Direct team have explored which birds are the fastest in the world. Fastest Birds The fastest birds in the world are: Peregrine Falcon – 247mph Golden Eagle – 200mph Saker Falcon – 199mph Both the Golden Eagle and the Peregrine Falcon are faster than the world’s fastest rollercoaster …
Continue reading
Feeding and caring for garden birds is vital for conserving species and helping our environment thrive all year round. However, one species that most gardeners could happily do without is pigeons. Considered a pest species, pigeons are potentially damaging birds that can cause serious trouble in a garden. It’s only natural to want to deter them. However, sometimes, in an effort to rid your garden …
Continue reading
Feeding ducks and other waterfowl is a great activity for all the family. It allows children to get closer to nature and nurture a lifelong love of animals, and adults to sit back and enjoy the relaxing activity. However, what to feed ducks has caused some controversy over recent years. With ducks in Leicester dying after being fed rotten bread[i] and so many conflicting opinions …
Continue reading
The Nation’s Favourite During the 1960s Britain adopted the robin as its favourite bird, although it was never officially confirmed. In 2015 there was another survey to find Britain’s favourite national bird, with the robin once again taking 1st place. This incentivised organisers to request the government officially recognise the robin as Britain’s national bird.
Continue reading
Scientific name: Streptopelia turtur Family: Pigeons and doves (Columbidae) Wingspan: 49 – 55cm (19 1/2 – 22″) Diet: Seeds form a large part of the turtle dove’s diet Feed with: turtle dove love to feed on seed. We recommend niger seed. Habitat: Can be located in hedgerows, woodland and scattered bushes. The turtle dove’s habitat is mainly southern England. Lifespan: 2 Years THE TURTLES DOVE …
Continue reading
Scientific name: Streptopelia decaocto Family: pigeons and doves (Columbidae) Wingspan: 47 – 55cm (19 – 22″) Diet: Mainly seeds and grain Feed with: Small bird seed, increasingly more from handing feeders with trays. They will also feed on bread crumbs from bird tables. Habitat: Collared doves are common visitors to the British garden. They can also be spotted around town and village centres. Lifespan: 3 …
Continue reading
Scientific name: Delichon urbica Family: swallows, martins, swifts and nightjars Wingspan: 25 – 29cm (10 – 12″) Diet: Mainly (flying) insects Habitat: House Martins are widespread and can be seen in the UK between April and September. They traditional enjoy feeding around wetlands, but can be found nesting under the eaves of houses and in and around towns and villages. Lifespan: 2 Years THE HOUSE …
Continue reading
Scientific name: Sturnus vulgaris Family: Starling (Sturnidae) Wingspan: 37 – 42cm (15 – 17″) Diet: Mainly insects and fruit Feed with: Fat balls, seed mixes and peanuts Habitat: Starlings are very abundant around the UK and can be found mainly in gardens, city centres, reed beds and plantations. Lifespan: 5 Years STARLINGS ARE highly recognisable and can be spotted in many gardens across the UK. …
Continue reading
Scientific name: Columba palumbus Family: Pigeons and doves Wingspan: 20 – 25cm (4 1/2 – 6″) Diet: Crops, cabbages, peas and grain; also shoots, seeds, nuts and berries. Feed with: Sunflower hearts, peanuts and suet foods Habitat: The woodpigeon can be found in woods and fields and also commonly appear in town and city parks and gardens. Lifespan: 3 Years WOODPIGEONS ARE the most common …
Continue reading