Garden BirdWatch is enabling many thousands of people to make a difference, collecting information on birds and other garden wildlife in a structured way so that it can be used to increase our understanding of the role that gardens play in supporting biodiversity.

The project is a great example of what is termed 'citizen science', partnering large numbers of volunteers with a small team of BTO staff to deliver robust science that is informing the ways in which we manage our gardens for wildlife.

Open to all

Many thousands of people have taken part in Garden BirdWatch since the project launched in 1995, and over four hundred of these have been with us since the start and are still submitting weekly observations of their garden wildlife. Anyone with access to a garden, no matter how small or where it is located within the UK, can participate in the project. A small urban garden, with just a handful of House Sparrows visiting, is just as important as a large rural garden with 15 or more species. 

If we are to understand the role that gardens play for biodiversity, then it is essential that we secure observations from a very broad range of gardens, and not just those that are large or managed for wildlife. Even if you live in a flat, but feed the birds on your balcony or from a window feeder, you can make a valuable contribution to Garden BirdWatch.

Although Garden BirdWatch is self-funded and relies on the generosity of those participants who pay an annual subscription and/or make a donation, you do not need to pay to take part. We introduced a free component (access to data entry but no quarterly magazine) during the COVID-19 lockdowns, and we have kept this going in order to enable more people to contribute to the project.

Be part of our community

Although Garden BirdWatch is based around the structured weekly recording of visiting birds and other garden wildlife, you don't have to participate every week (or indeed at all). If you have an interest in garden birds, and want to learn more about how you can best manage your garden for them, then being part of the Garden BIrdWatch community will help you to do this. Similarly, of you want to improve your knowledge of garden birds, or your identification skills, then joining our community can help you here too.

We produce a weekly e-newsletter about the project and about garden wildlife, and we are active on social media (BlueSky, Instagram, and Facebook), where we post about garden wildlife. Engage with us on these channels to find our more about the project, the results of our work, and about garden wildlife more generally.

You can find out more about how to participate, including how to get started with GBW Online, on our web pages, and you can also sign up for GBW Free if you want to give it a go and see how you get on. Our small team of BTO staff is here to help you, so do reach out if you have any queries.