This year's RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch, starting on Friday, could reveal 'some surprise migratory visitors' due to a cold snap in Europe. The RSPB says the cold and unsettled weather has prompted a bumper year for birds migrating to the UK.
Species like fieldfares and redwings are more likely to be spotted in 2026 as they seek refuge from extreme cold in places such as Poland and Scandinavia. The UK's relatively mild winters attract large numbers of migratory birds looking for food and shelter.
Beccy Speight, chief executive of the RSPB, said: 'When compared with places such as Norway and Sweden, the UK has relatively warm winters, and we get large numbers of migratory birds from all over Europe. But numbers change every year depending on the weather – with the recent cold spell you may see some surprise migratory visitors outside your window.'
Last year, nearly 600,000 people took part in the Big Garden Birdwatch, recording over 9 million birds of more than 80 species, including about 3,000 fieldfares and redwings. In 2025, the woodpigeon became the third most recorded bird, behind the house sparrow (top for 22 years) and the blue tit.
The survey, launched in 1979, asks participants to spend an hour counting birds in their gardens or local parks between 23 and 25 January. A parallel event for schools will take place in February.
