What's that bird doing?

During Big Garden Birdwatch 2011, you told us about some 70 different species of birds that visited your garden.

There were woodpeckers, jackdaws, willow tits and goldfinches, plus bramblings, waxwings and wrens.

Some you might be familiar with, but others might only make an appearance in your garden once in a while.

If you're feeling a little overwhelmed by all the different birds, help is at hand because often it's the way a bird behaves that's the best clue to its identity.

By keeping an eye and an ear out for what the birds are doing, you can start to observe a whole new world full of colourful characters in your back garden.

Eat in..

There a number of birds who are quite happy to sit on feeders and bird tables to eat their food.

Birds like greenfinches, chaffinches and house sparrows will often perch on a feeder and eat seed after seed before moving on.

You shouldn’t be surprised if you also see them squabbling amongst themselves over for best perch the best access to a tasty treat.

..or take away?

Other birds are a little more secretive, and will take their food away to eat it.

It’s usually the smaller birds who do this as it's much safer for them to spend as much time out-of-sight as possible.

Blue tits and coal tits fall into this category.

Ground-eaters

While blackbirds and robins will occasionally be seen on feeders, they're much more at home on the ground.

They don't feel the need for concealment as much as smaller birds, and will often be out in the open on the lawn or patio, eating scraps or picking up grubs and worms from the ground.

Small brown wrens and dunnocks also feed on the ground, but they prefer to stay hidden away. You’ll most likely notice them scurry, mouse-like, under bushes and along fences looking for scraps that other birds have dropped, or for grubs in the ground.

Signalling their arrival

Another way to identify birds is by listening.

You can often tell when a flock of tits is about to descend on your garden because they constantly call to one another. Listen out for high-pitched calls and then look in the trees and hedges - it's likely there's a flock heading your way.

Collared doves often call when they land with a 'coo-coo'. If you hear this noise, chances are there's one perched on your fence, hedge or tree, making sure the coast is clear.

You probably already know this, but starlings are a noisy bunch. They like to chatter to one another and are known for making a wide variety of noises, including clicking and singing.

Still not sure?

If you're still a bit confused by the birds - try our online identifier. Or, if you've an iPhone, download our new app - loveBirds - an easy to use bird guide which you can take with you wherever you are.

Bird identifier What's that bird in your garden? If you're not sure, try our new online identifier. Tell us a bit about what you saw and we'll suggest some possible birds. More...