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Starlings have dropped out of the UK's top three garden birds for the first time. The RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch results for 2025 show that the lowest number of starlings ever was recorded, pushing them from third to fourth place. In Wiltshire, starlings managed to retain their fourth position in the rankings, despite their declining numbers.
Nearly 8,800 residents in the county took part in the survey, with house sparrows, blue tits, and wood pigeons taking the top three spots. Read more: Brunel transformation at centre of town's redevelopment plans Nationwide, almost 600,000 people participated in the Big Garden Birdwatch, counting more than nine million birds of over 80 species. The survey provides a valuable snapshot of how our most common garden birds are faring.
Starlings, medium-sized birds with glossy plumage, are known for their spectacular murmurations. However, they are a red-listed species in the UK, considered a high conservation concern due to their declining numbers. The UK breeding population of starlings has declined by 82 per cent between 1970 and 2022.
The RSPB’s chief executive, Beccy Speight, said: "Starlings are one of our most charismatic garden birds, but this year’s Big Garden Birdwatch results is a reason for concern. "With one in six species at risk of extinction from Great Britain, we’ve done more damage to our natural world than we realise. "However, we can all do our bit to support these threatened birds by taking small actions that can not only benefit starlings, but a wealth of other garden wildlife.
" The RSPB suggests avoiding the use of pesticides and keeping a natural lawn to allow starlings to forage for invertebrates. They also recommend putting up nest boxes to provide starlings with a ready-made nesting site. Read more: New bus services will connect Swindon to wider Wiltshire Ms Speight continued: "To halt nature’s decline and turn around the fortunes of our native species, we need to help them return to healthy levels, so they become a feature of everyday life once more.
"Our countryside, our farms and our towns all need support to encourage nature, and while our homes and gardens often provide the perfect place for individual people to help, we also urgently need governments and businesses to join us in the wider fight to restore our natural world." The Big Garden Birdwatch is a large-scale citizen science survey that started in 1979, providing an annual snapshot of the status of garden birds in the UK. Participants are asked to count the maximum number of each species recorded at their chosen location during a one-hour period over the last weekend in January.
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