Garden BirdWatch in a nutshell

Gardens are important for biodiversity, and will become increasingly important as our landscapes become more urbanised. The more we can understand about how wildlife uses gardens and the resources that they provide, the more we can do to improve our cities, towns, villages and individual gardens for nature.

BTO launched Garden BirdWatch in January 1995, inviting participants to send in weekly lists of the birds seen in their gardens. The survey has since expanded to include other wildlife, including mammals, amphibians, reptiles, butterflies, bumblebees and dragonflies. Garden BirdWatchers record the features of their gardens, and make a note of what food they put out each week. They can also record whether they see any sick or dead wildlife.

This national network of garden observers also helps with other questions about garden habitats, including targeted surveys for House Sparrows and Blackcaps, amongst others, and also forms the basis of a network of sites to monitor wildlife disease, via the Garden Wildlife Health project.

Although participation in the survey is free, a good proportion of participants generously contribute a £17 annual subscription, which goes towards the running costs of the survey. We do not receive any other funding.

Taking out a subscription to Garden BirdWatch is a great way to support the survey and to learn about garden wildlife, even if you do not feel able to submit records.