The most colourful British birds

2 min read
The most colourful British birds

As we all know, there are parts of the world more exotic and temperate than the UK, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t fortunate when it comes to our wildlife. We have some truly beautiful, colourful birds right here on our shores – we just need to know what we are looking for (and where and how to look)!

Take a scroll through – which bird is your favourite?

How to attract goldfinches to your garden

Goldfinch

Look at this little bird! Goldfinches are beautiful, but it can be hard to appreciate them fully because of their size and speed. They are relatively common birds – you just have to look carefully and offer plenty of sunflower hearts – binoculars make them easier to spot too.


Great Spotted Woodpecker

I would paint a whole room to match that shade of red on the great woodpecker's crown – it’s stunning! Suet and peanuts are great ways to attract a great spotted woodpecker to your garden, and they can often be found near woodland and parks. 


Bullfinch

Look at that coral pink on the chest and how it contrasts with the black and white feathers. Plant honeysuckle and guelder in your garden to attract bullfinches – they love to eat the berries.


Blue Tit

The humble blue tit – massively underrated in terms of its beauty. The bright blue on a blue tit’s head is one of the prettiest colours in nature – take a look through a pair of binoculars and it will blow you away! Sunflower hearts and suet will always entice these pretty birds.


Jay

Not everyone’s favourite bird, granted, but beautiful nonetheless – that petrol blue on the jay’s wing is a stunning colour. They are very intelligent birds and very pretty – I always enjoy watching them in our garden.


Yellowhammer

I would love to see a yellowhammer – those bright yellow feathers are just beautiful. They are commonly seen in farmland where they nest in the hedgerows, but they will come into a garden if they’re hungry. They love to eat grains, seeds, small insects and fruit.


Kingfisher

Aren’t we lucky to have these beauties living on our shores? Kingfishers are found near lakes and rivers and they will venture into your garden if you have a pond. They feed on fish and can be seen in nature reserves around the UK.

Which is your favourite colourful British bird? Let me know in the comments.

Meet the author!

Clare Cahill is an enthusiastic bird lover with a passion for observing and learning about the incredible variety of birds around us. While she doesn’t have a formal degree in ornithology, Clare has dedicated countless hours to reading birding books and exploring nature, constantly expanding her knowledge and deepening her love for wildlife.

For Clare, birdwatching brings a sense of calm and connection to the world, offering a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. She believes that the more we connect with nature, the more we can do to protect and conserve it. Through her writing, Clare hopes to inspire others to take a moment to pause, look up, and appreciate the wonderful birds that share our spaces.

Meet Clare

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