MISSING in the North West!
The following 3 birds are most at risk, and MISSING in YOUR region!
Swift -74%
Greenfinch -59%
Yellowhammer -46%
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Songbirds Are Friends Not Food
Please help us find them by looking out of your window, or going for a walk or hike in your local area.
Download and share our handy ‘missing’ posters below.
They help to find out important facts about the species:
1. Appearance
2. Where it's found
3. What it eats & how to feed them
4. How to help them
#FriendsNotFood
Greenfinch -59%
(Carduelis chloris)
Swift -74%
(Apus apus)
Yellowhammer -46%
(Emberiza citronella)
Alert Status: Green
Identifying Features: Mostly olive green with a yellow tinge to the underbelly with yellow to the outer wings. Usually brighter in summer.
Average Length: 15cm
Average Lifespan: 2 Years
Average Wingspan: 25-28 cm
Beak type: Seeds
Eats: Seeds, wild fruit & berries
How to feed: Hanging feeders & bird tables
What to feed: Sunflower hearts, black sunflower seeds, seed mixtures
Nesting: Usually in colonies in dense shrubs, constructed of twigs & grass lined with fine roots & hair
Where to see: Common UK birds found in woodland, hedges and gardens.
Alert Status: Amber
Identifying Features: The swift is an aerial bird, plain sooty brown, but in flight against the sky it appears black. It has long, scythe-like wings and a short, forked tail.
Average Length: 16-18 cm
Average Lifespan: 9 years
Average Wingspan: 42-48 cm
Beak type: Flat and wide
Eats: They feed exclusively on insects and spiders caught on the wing.
Nesting: Swifts nest in holes - often inside old buildings or sometimes in specially-designed swift nestboxes - so you'll never see them building a nest outside. The nest is made from grasses, leaves, and feathers - all collected while flying - and bonded together with saliva. Breeding is the only time Swifts stop flying; their entire lives are spent in the air.
Where to see: Look up in the sky in summer, often very high. They never perch on wires like swallows. You might see parties of them careering madly at high speed around rooftops and houses, often low, especially towards dusk.
Alert Status: Red
Identifying Features: Sparrow size bunting. Male is bright yellow with dark streaking. Females are not so bright and can be brown looking.
Average Length: 16cm
Average Lifespan: 3 Years
Average Wingspan: 23-29 cm
Beak type: Seeds
Eats: Seeds & grains
How to feed: Hanging feeders
What to feed: Sunflower hearts, raisins, corn & seeds
Nesting: Cup-shaped nest on the ground among hedgerows, grasses or shrubs.
Where to see: Most of England and Wales, some of Scotland and Ireland. Open countryside, bushes & hedgerows