Two thirds of UK found solace in watching birds and hearing their song over lockdown, survey reveals

I hope you managed to get involved in the Big Garden Birdwatch over the weekend

Two thirds of UK found solace in watching birds and hearing their song over lockdown, survey reveals - RSPB

Robin Erithacus rubecula, on seed feeder with family watching in the background (Ben Hall (rspb-images.com)) — Robin *Erithacus rubecula*, on seed feeder with family watching in the background (Ben Hall (rspb-images.com))

Results from a new survey commissioned by the RSPB have revealed the pandemic is making the public more aware of nature in their local area, with 41% seeing wildlife near their homes over the last 12 months that they had never noticed before.

The YouGov survey of 2,071 adults across the UK revealed 63% of people said watching the birds and hearing their song added to their enjoyment of life since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, with more than half of those surveyed (51%) believing the pandemic has made them more aware of the nature around them.

This weekend (January 29-31) hundreds of thousands of people across the UK will celebrate their love of nature and unite to count their garden birds for the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch, the largest survey of its kind on the planet.

Since it first began 42 years ago, the Big Garden Birdwatch has not only given the wildlife charity an astonishing insight into how our garden wildlife is faring but has also helped the public forge a stronger connection with the nature on their doorsteps. This year we’ve seen how important the natural world is to our mental health as people have come to rely on their wild neighbours for solace in these unsettling times.

The RSPB’s survey also indicated people have been acting on their newly-strengthened connection with nature. Over two in five people (44%) said they had actively done something (such as putting out food and water) to help wildlife in their area over the past 12 months, and 42% had shared their experience of nature with other people.
Over the last year people’s eyes have been opened to the wildlife on their doorstep, the survey suggested, with over one third (36%) learning something new about wildlife in their local area.

Just over half the UK public (53%) has been feeding garden birds during the past 12 months. Two fifths (40%) of the UK public has been feeding garden birds at least once a week during the winter months, including one fifth (19%) that has been feeding them daily.