The Big Schools' Birdwatch

Is your school taking part in the Big Schools’ Birdwatch from 6th January to 20th February? We are constantly inspired by nature at Kingswood. Luckily for us, most of our centres are located within Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and scientific interest, so there are even more opportunities for us to experience and learn from nature, plus we get to welcome lots of animal friends all year round.  

This year, we’ll be joining in with the Big Schools’ Birdwatch to find out which birds visit our centres. The RSPB’s Big Schools’ Birdwatch is a fantastic way to help record how birds are faring across the UK, as well as getting children outside and involved in nature.

If you haven’t yet requested one, here’s a link to receive a Big Schools’ Birdwatch pack.  

Did you know the UK attracts visiting birds throughout the winter months? Here are a few migrant winter birds we hope to see at Kingswood centres this winter, and what to look out for:

Fieldfare

Listen out for a loud chuckle and you may spot a fieldfare. They also travel together in small flocks, so you’ll probably spot more than one at a time. Look out for a bird that’s slightly bigger than a blackbird with a grey head and tail and some orange colouration around the throat area.

Photo credit: Łukasz Rawa

Redwing

What a beautiful bird this is. Not to be mistaken for a robin as they share similar red markings under the wing area, but a lot less than a robin’s red breast, and they’re also bigger than robins. If you spot a fieldfare you may see a redwing as they travel together.

Photo credit: Andrey Gulivanov

Waxwing

This wonderful bird looks to us like a very exotic pigeon! It has the most glorious tuft of hair at the top of its head with orange markings around its eyes and beak. A similar size to a starling, this predominantly light grey bird also has a bright yellow tip at the end of its tail.  

Photo credit: John Duncan

Brambling

A sparrow like bird although around double the size with a wingspan of almost 26cm. These sweet birds arrive earlier in autumn/winter so you’ll have to be quick to spot them.

Photo credit: Lasse Nystedt

Useful resources

There are some fantastic resources available for schools and groups (and could be used at home by parents) available via Twinkl, including:

• A bird watching resource pack for KS2

• A garden bird sighting checklist

• How to make a pinecone bird feeder craft for KS1

• A guide to drawing a bird for KS2

Here’s a link to these resources.

Happy bird spotting everyone!

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