Birdwatchers asked to keep a look out for siskin and bullfinch in their gardens as low numbers recorded for the first half of the year

Through its Garden Birdwatch Survey, researchers at the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) noticed there were lower numbers of siskin and bullfinch using gardens across the first half of this year. Every week for the past 25 years, participants in the BTO Garden Birdwatch Survey have been observing the birds in their gardens and sharing the results with the trust’s researchers.

Their reports show that recorded sightings of two of our most colourful finches – the siskin and bullfinch – were less common in gardens through the first half of the year. However, they also think this is about to change. Siskins – a small, black and yellow-green finch – are normally seen in high numbers during February and March, but they remain an uncommon visitor in autumn.

Very unusually, this year siskins were seen in very few Garden BirdWatch gardens in spring, but they have been seen in many more than usual during the last few weeks.

BTO researchers said these patterns are probably related to the availability of natural foods, notably the seeds of conifer trees, and this winter and next spring will be a bumper time for siskins at bird feeders.

Bullfinches are most often seen at garden bird feeders from November through to July. This year, however, counts have been lower than normal and BTO researchers are asking for help from members of the public to keep an eye out for these birds visiting their garden feeding stations over the coming weeks.

Kate Risely, the BTO’s Garden BirdWatch organiser, said: “The observations of BTO Garden BirdWatchers provide amazingly detailed information and it also helps us to spot when something is happening with our garden birds, and we are particularly interested in watching what happens with siskin and bullfinch numbers this winter”.

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