Our WildSquare survey for January and February has just started. By completing this survey, you're not only finding out about nature for yourself, but you're also stepping up for nature. To find out more about the RSPB's Stepping up for Nature campaign click on the blue link.
This season, in your WildSquare, we're asking you to look out for birds and listen to their song. Birds are the most visible wildlife in the UK. They're everywhere, in towns, farmland, at the shore and in your back garden and this is the best time of year to find out a bit more about them. The daylight hours are shorter so for diurnal birds (those that are awake in the daytime) they have to make the most of every hour to fill up on food to keep them going through the long winter nights. You can see birds much more easily now that the leaves have fallen from the trees. As the days get longer throughout January and February more and more birds will be starting to prepare for the chicks they will be having in the spring. They'll be singing to mark their territory and to attract a mate and they'll be collecting twigs, moss and all sorts of other materials to make their nests with.
Birds are an indication of the health of an environment. For instance, if you see lots of house sparrows (like the one in the picture) that means that there must be lots of insects around for them to feed to their young, lots of flowering plants that they can collect seed from, or helpful gardeners leaving out food for them and plenty of good nesting sites. By making sure that a habit is good for birds we're also making sure that there's lots of good things for other species too. That's why the RSPB works so hard to make sure that there are places both in this country and abroad that are helping not only birds, but all of nature.