Big Garden Birdwatch ID guide, round II: common garden birds

• Look out for chirpy groups in shrubs or perched on house guttering.
• Males have a black beard and grey cap. Females are less distinctive, although their wings are striped with buff, cream and dark brown
• Don't confuse a House Sparrow for a Dunnock, which has a grey chest and face.

• Peanuts in feeders
• Seeds, especially sunflower seeds
• Fat balls and suet cakes

House Sparrows can be heard cheep-cheeping all year round, although their song builds in strength during the spring and summer, when they gather in bigger groups. In autumn and winter, we're left with fragments of their chirpy chatter.

• This bird isn't showy, so you'll need to keep a careful eye out for its grey-brown plumage.
• Look for a grey face and chest and narrow beak.
• These are shy birds that shuffle and hop, eating on the ground, rather than feeders.

• A mixture of small seeds
• Kibbled peanuts
• Suet pellets  

You can hear the Dunnock's squeaky and high-pitched trill year-round, even in winter when males are warning others off their patch. You'll also hear their shrill, piping "tiiih" call at this time of year.

• Softly-coloured grey and pink feathers, with a distinctive black collar.
• If you don't see them, you may well hear them – their long cooing call is a common sound in the UK.
• Often on their own or in pairs, but they will flock together where lots of food is available.

• Sunflower hearts
• Millet
• Suet sprinkles

You can hear the Collared Dove's co-cooing year-round. They can also sound a little like they've caught a cold when flying or landing, giving a rapid, nasally "kwourrr" call.

• Black feathers that shimmer with purple and green in the sun. They're also dappled with white.
• These are chatty, sociable birds – so you're unlikely to just see one on your feeder.
• Keep an eye out for swirling and swooping Starling murmurations through the sky, come dusk.

• Fat balls or blocks
• Peanuts
• Sunflower hearts

Listen out for clicks and rattles coming from the tops of trees, chimney stacks and TV aerials. Their simple call sounds a little like an old rocking chair, but they're fantastic mimics, and can even adopt phone ringing, siren and car alarm sounds!

• A light grey suit with a white and green collar. White wing patches in flight.
• Woodpigeons are easily startled and will fly off with a clatter of wings.
• Easy to mix up with Feral Pigeons and Stock Doves, so check for a patch of white on the neck.

Woodpigeons aren't fussy, and will eat pretty much anything provided! They especially love:

• Leafy greens, cabbage and sprouts 
• Nuts and seeds
• Fruit, including windfall apples and pears 

One of the most common sounds in a UK garden, Woodpigeons have a five note coo, which sounds something like 'coo-coooo-coo, coo coo'. You might also hear their deep-voiced snoring sounds – charming! 

• The male's bright orange beak and matching eye ring are a real giveaway, as well as the coal-black feathers.
• The female is trickier, so look out for a bright yellow/orange eye ring.
• You can often spot Blackbirds singing from a fence post or tree.

• Raisins, sultanas and currants, as well as bruised and windfall fruit, such as apples
• Stale cake and broken pieces of biscuits (they're high in fat and ideal for winter)
• Mealworms

In the colder months, listen out for melodic Blackbird calls. When they spot danger, like a neighbourhood cat, their alarm calls erupt in an explosive rattle of urgent "chuks" and high-pitched "chinks". It couldn't be more different than their tuneful spring song.

• An eye-catching red breast and brown back is the easiest way to spot a Robin.
• Listen out for their tuneful song, a mix of twitters and trills with longer notes.
• Robins are curious and will follow gardeners – ready to pounce on unearthed worms and grubs!

• Mealworms
• Sunflower seeds and peanuts
• Fruit like raisins or chunks of apple (no pips, please!)

Often the first bird you'll hear in the morning and the last at night, the Robin loves to sing loudly year­ round. Robins defend their territory through winter, and their song is their weapon of choice to keep rivals at bay. Their alarm call is a loud and urgent ticking sound, letting enemies know "your time's up, buster!" 

• The Magpie is one of the easiest birds to identify. Just look for the bold contrast of those black and white feathers.
• And listen for their noisy chattering calls.
• They also have long tails, which fan out when they fly.

• Mealworms
• Seeds on a ground feeder
• Fruit like raisins and apples

Magpies can be heard making their noisy 'shak-shak-shak' all year round, and as other birds quieten down in the colder months, it becomes even easier to hear.