If you love wildlife just as much as we do, then you'll know that feeding garden birds is one of life's simple pleasures. Not only are birds compelling to watch, but by providing them with high-quality bird food, you're also helping them up their declining populations. As of June 2022, there are 628 bird species living in the UK. Do you know which ones you will most likely see in your garden? Here are the top 10 common garden birds to spot at your feeders and their favourite foods to entice them in.

Blue Tit

Just because it's one of the most common birds to find in your garden, it's easy to forget and appreciate a Blue Tit's true beauty. Their striking blue plumage, yellow breast, and playful personality can bring joy to any garden!

What do blue tit's eat?

Blue Tits are not picky eaters and will appreciate most good quality bird food you fill your feeders with. Their favourite foods include Suet Treats, Sunflower Seeds and Peanuts.

Robin

Voted the UK's favourite bird, spotting a robin at your feeders will bring a smile to any face. There's no mistaking the robin, with its iconic red breast and confident personality. Robins are known to sing high pitch songs in late afternoons, which helps keep gardeners company.

What do robin's eat?

The quickest way to a robin’s heart is Suet Pellets, Dried Mealworms and Sunflower Hearts. A robin will keep returning to your garden if your bird feeders have a flowing supply of these delicious foods.

Goldfinch

One of the most vibrant birds to visit our gardens, the goldfinch is easily recognisable by its bright yellow wings, red face and orange and black plumage. They usually travel in large flocks (a.k.a a charm), so when you see one at your feeder, many more will usually follow.

What do goldfinches eat?

If you want to attract a charm of goldfinches to your garden, Niger Seed is the secret weapon. Make sure you use a niger seed feeder with this bird food. Sunflower Hearts and our Finches and Tits Mix is always a favourite for goldfinches also. 

Blackbird

Blackbirds are another common bird that's easy to spot. Males have an all-black plumage and a yellow ring around their eyes. Females and young blackbirds have a more brownish body. 

What do blackbirds eat?

Blackbirds can't resist a juicy worm, especially our dried mealworms, after they've been soaked in water for half an hour. Suet Treats are also a big favourite for them. Blackbirds are ground-feeding birds and prefer to enjoy their food on a bird table or ground.

Chaffinches

A chaffinch is easy to spot with its distinctive pink and blue-grey plumage. You'll find this bird hopping around underneath bushes and keeping a low profile. Even though chaffinches are considered territorial birds, they are non-aggressive and actually quite shy. A common bird, they can be seen in gardens throughout the British Isles regularly. 

What do Chaffinches eat?

Chaffinches are a big fan of bird seeds, including Sunflower Seeds, Niger Seed, Millet, our Finches and Tits Mix, and Peanuts. Make sure you use feeders with a large perch or bird tables, as Chaffinches are naturally ground feeders.

Long-tailed Tit

You may be surprised that the long-tailed tit isn't actually part of the tit family! Yet, they are still a complete delight to see in the garden, with their adorable appearance. The long-tailed tit is easy to recognise with its black and white-pinkish plumage. The tail is the true giveaway, which is longer than its body.

What do long-tailed tits eat?

The best food to entice long-tailed tits to your garden is Suet Treats! Suet Balls, Suet Blocks, and Suet Pellets are the foods we always see this bird go for.

Great Tit

The great tit is the largest of the UK Tit family and, thanks to its size, also one of the toughest. This bird isn't easily intimidated by other birds at the feeders. They have a more yellow tone with a black cap and stripe down their chest to their tail. 

What do great tits eat?

Like its blue cousin, the great tit is also not a fussy eater and will appreciate the majority of bird food you put out for it. We tend to see our great tits make a beeline for Suet Blocks, Sunflower Seeds and Peanuts.

House Sparrow

Once the most common bird found in UK gardens, the house sparrow population have severely declined since the 1970s. But there's still a high chance of seeing this bird at your feeder. Male house sparrows have a distinctive smoky cap and rich brown plumage, and the female is brown all over, with grey-brown underparts.

What do house sparrows eat? 

House sparrows are ground feeders and like their bird feeders to have large perches or placed on the ground. They particularly like Suet Balls, Peanuts, and our Ground and Table Mix.

Starling

Even though starlings are one of the most common garden birds to spot in this country, the UK conservation has still put them on the red list. Starlings like to travel in large flocks for safety, and you'll usually hear them before you see them. From afar, Starlings look black with white spots, but on closer inspection, they have this unique greenish-purple undertone with a metallic appearance. 

What do starlings eat?

Probably the least fussy eater of all garden birds, starlings will devour any bird feed- and it will go quickly. As soon as one starling shows up, you can guarantee a starling flock will quickly follow. Suet Treats, Sunflower Seeds, Peanuts- pretty much any typical bird food starlings will happily go for.