Advice

July’s birds of the month: which ones will you see?

Summer’s here and it’s a great time to get out in nature. Here are six birds to look out for.

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July is a great month for birds, and the weather is generally nice too – so it’s a perfect time to see the nature in your area. If you’re lucky, and in eastern or southern England, you might even see an elusive Turtle Dove. 

1. Turtle Dove

The gentle purring call of the Turtle Dove, which sounds like ‘turrr-turrr,’ was once one of the iconic sounds of summer – but you’ll be very lucky to hear one now. Sadly, they are on the Red List of Conservation Concern, and until very recently, were one of our fastest-declining birds. But now, we know the key problems they face, and the action we need to take. They’re one of our priority species, and we’re hopeful that they’ll become the sound of summer once again. 

Turtle Doves are smaller and daintier than Woodpigeons or Collared Doves, with a characteristic black and white pattern on their neck. 

They’re Europe’s only long-distance migratory dove, and migrate from their breeding grounds to West Africa where they spend the winter. They generally return to Western Europe around late April to May each year. 

ID tips

  • Smaller than Woodpigeons or Collared Doves 

  • Black and burnt orange feathers 

  • Black and white neck pattern 

  • Red eye ring 

Where to see?

If you see or hear one, you’re very lucky! The best places to look out and listen for them are across southern and eastern England, particularly on farmland with patches of tall scrub or tall and wide hedgerows. 

Difficulty rating

Hard. They’re a Red-listed species, and they now have a limited breeding range in the UK. They tend to be more active in the mornings, so that’s a good time to look out for them. 

Conservation status

The RSPB leads Operation Turtle Dove, with our partners Natural England, Fair to Nature, and Pensthorpe Conservation Trust. Together, we’re working to help reverse the fortunes of Turtle Doves. Turtle Doves feed almost exclusively on seeds, so we work closely with farmers and landowners to ensure they have suitable feeding grounds close to nesting habitats, and water to drink.  

We also carry out research to try to understand the threats they face on migration. This work has contributed to a huge reduction in Turtle Dove hunting along their migration route through south-west Europe since 2021. This coincided with a more than 30% increase in the Western European breeding population over the same period. This rapid start to recovery is hopeful. It gives us optimism that with time and the right approaches, we can see long-term recovery of Turtle Doves in the UK too. 

What to listen for?

A gentle purring ‘turr turr’ call. 

Turtle Dove

xeno-canto / Niels Krabbe

Close up of a Turtle Dove.
Turtle Dove
How to identify

Learn more about how to identify Turtle Doves and which RSPB reserves are best to see them. 

2. Lapwing

Lapwings are also known as ‘peewits,’ due to their call. You can instantly recognise them due to the long crest on the back of their head. From a distance, and in flight, they look black and white, but they actually shimmer in iridescent green. They were a familiar farmland bird, but like Turtle Doves, they have sadly experienced declines recently and are now on the Red List of Conservation Concern. 

The name ‘lapwing’ relates to the way they fly – zigzagging through the skies. In the breeding season, the males really go to town with a tumbling and zooming flight to impress the females. 

They’re one of our priority species, and we’re doing targeted work to help them, which involves working with farmers to encourage Lapwings on their land. 

ID tips

  • Long crest on the back of the head 

  • Black upper parts 

  • Green and purple highlights 

Where to see?

Lapwings can be seen in all parts of the UK, but have become less frequent in western Wales, the west of mainland Scotland, and the south-west of England. They scrape out their nests in areas of short grass. Listen out for their distinct calls on farmland near you.

Difficulty rating

Easy.

Conservation status

Sadly, numbers of Lapwings have declined by 55% since the 1960s. Part of this decline is due to changes in agriculture, so we’re working with farmers to create the best possible conditions for them to thrive. This involves maintaining suitable nesting habitats, and looking out for Lapwing nests when using large machinery. 

What to listen for?

Listen for a distinctive ‘pee-wit’ sound. 

Lapwing

xeno-canto / Patrik Åberg

A lone Lapwing chick stood in a meadow.
Lapwing Chick
How to identify

Learn more about how to identify Lapwings and which RSPB reserves are best to see them. 

3. House Sparrow

With their familiar ‘cheep cheep’ call, House Sparrows are one of the UK’s most widespread birds, and definitely one of the most endearing. Listen out for the cheeping in parks, gardens, and hedges.  

They’re sociable birds and often live in small groups, close to people. In fact, they’ve lived alongside humans for centuries, taking advantage of spilt grain and food scraps. 

They have quite short wings, and because of this, they’re not the best fliers. So they prefer to stick closely to vegetation, running under cover if a predator is close by. When this happens, you might hear their alarm call, which sounds like ‘churr.’ 

They generally feed on insects as well as seed food. 

ID tips

  • Small, about the size of a Chaffinch 

  • Short, chunky beak 

  • Males have a chestnut brown back and black markings, and a black bib. 

  • Females have a brown back with black markings, a pale chest with no bib, and a pale yellow stripe behind their eyes. 

Where to see?

House Sparrows are the most commonly seen bird in the Big Garden Birdwatch, and they’ve lived alongside humans for centuries. Look out for them in gardens, city streets, and parks. 

Difficulty rating

Very easy.

Conservation status

Despite their Big Garden Birdwatch success, numbers of House Sparrows have dropped by 60% in the past 45 years. In 2002, House Sparrows were added to the Red List of Conservation Concern. 

What to listen for?

The commonest call is a simple ‘cheep-cheep,’ often heard in flocks. 

House Sparrow

xeno-canto / Jarek Matusiak

A lone House Sparrow perched on a lichen covered log.
House Sparrow
How to identify

Learn more about how to identify House Sparrows. 

4. Tree Sparrow

Whilst House Sparrows proudly top the Big Garden Birdwatch, their relative the Tree Sparrow is much harder to find. 

Tree Sparrows are smaller than House Sparrows, although they do look quite similar. Unlike House Sparrows, Tree Sparrows are shyer and are only rarely seen in urban areas or around people. Males and females also look the same, each having a distinctive black spot on their cheek. 

They have suffered from severe declines, but in the areas that they can still be seen, the prefer farmland with plenty of overgrown hedges and mature trees, open woodland and parkland. They often come together in small flocks in the breeding season, and can be seen with other species too. 

ID tips

  • Smaller than a House Sparrow 

  • White collar and chicks with a distinctive dark spot 

  • Small black bib 

  • Chestnut brown cap 

  • Streaky brown back 

Where to see?

In the countryside. They’re largely absent from much of southern England, Wales, Western Scotland, and parts of Northern Ireland. You’re more likely to see them on farmland. 

Difficulty rating

Medium.

Conservation status

Tree Sparrows have suffered from serious declines, and are now on the Red List of Conservation Concern. 

What to listen for?

The Tree Sparrow’s call is similar to a House Sparrow, but sounds more like a repeated ‘chip chip.’ 

Tree Sparrow

xeno-canto / Jarek Matusiak

A Tree Sparrow perched on a thin tree trunk
Tree Sparrow
How to identify

Learn more about how to identify Tree Sparrows and which RSPB reserves are best to see them. 

5. Yellowhammer

At one point, the bright yellow flash of a Yellowhammer was a familiar sight on farmland. Sadly, that’s no longer the case, and it’s been on the Red List of Conservation Concern since the 1980s. However, if you’re lucky enough to see one, they’re unmistakable. Females are browner, but both have a streaky brown back. 

Yellowhammers stay on farms all year round, especially on mixed and arable farms. They tend to nest in thick hedges with ditches. 

The adults mainly feed on seeds, whilst the chicks prefer to feast on insects and spiders. We work with farmers to help give Yellowhammers the food and habitat they need to survive. 

ID tips

  • Bright yellow head and underparts 

  • Brown back, streaked with black 

  • Short, greyish bill 

Where to see?

Yellowhammers feed on the ground, and can be seen picking through seeds. Look out for them in the Midlands and southern, eastern, and western England, West Wales, and eastern Scotland. 

Difficulty rating

Moderate.

Conservation status

In the 1960s, Yellowhammers were a common sight on farmland. Sadly, they declined by 61% between 1967 and 2020, due to a lack of food and places to nest. They’re now on the Red List of Conservation Concern. 

However, things are looking up. In east County Down in Northern Ireland, we’re seeing Yellowhammers recovering in farms where we’re working with farmers to help them encourage Yellowhammers on their land. It’s proof that we can turn things around! 

What to listen for?

Their call has been described as ‘a little bit of bread and no cheese,’ but it sounds more like ‘si-si-si-si-si bzuuuu.’ 

Yellowhammer

Xeno-canto / Patrik Åberg

How to identify

Learn more about how to identify Yellowhammers and which RSPB reserves are best to see them. 

6. Woodpigeon

The Woodpigeon is the UK’s largest and commonest pigeon. You might recognise their lazy-sounding cooing call, or the noise of their clapping wingbeats. The thick white stripes across their wings make them easy to identify in flight. 

They can be found across the UK, in a range of different habitats, and it can also nest at any time of year. They’re typically associated with woodland, though they have adapted to live alongside people quite happily. Although they tend to be shy in the countryside, they can be very tame in towns and cities, and are often a regular visitor to gardens. 

ID tips

  • Largely grey, with a white neck patch and white wing patches 

  • Purplish-grey breast 

  • Pinkish bill 

Where to see?

You can see them everywhere, apart from some areas of Scotland. You can see them in woodland, farmland, parkland, and urban areas. 

Difficulty rating

Very easy! They’re our most common pigeon and dove species. 

Conservation status

The Woodpigeon population size is estimated at around 5.2 million pairs in the UK. 

What to listen for?

A series of five mellow ‘coos,’ with a husky tone. 

Woodpigeon

xeno-canto / Susanne Kuijpers

Woodpigeon perched on a garden fence
Woodpigeon
How to identify

Learn more about how to identify Woodpigeons. 

Share your bird sightings

We hope you feel inspired to try and see some of these birds this month. We’d love to hear how you get on. You can send your photos to us at [email protected] We’ll share some of the best in a future issue of Notes on Nature. 

Please be mindful when taking photos not to disturb wildlife or habitats. Further guidance can be found in The Nature Photographer's Code of Practice

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