GARDENERS are being urged to help save house sparrows and starlings.
Numbers of the once-common garden birds have been decimated in recent years.
Now the RSPB wants people to make simple changes to how they look after their gardens and give the birds a chance to thrive.
According to the annual Big Garden Birdwatch 2013, the number of house sparrows has decreased by 63% since 1979 while starlings have declined by 82%.
Adrian Thomas, author of RSPB Gardening for Wildlife, said: “Gardens can offer a real lifeline for wildlife.
“Just doing a few simple things in our gardens can mean they provide food, shelter and nesting spaces for birds, which are most vital for the species that are struggling.”
House sparrows need insects to feed on so keeping grass longer provides a habitat while deciduous shrubs and a vegetable patch give sparrows somewhere to gather.
Starlings also love a lawn for beetles, flies and worms and elderberries go down a treat in autumn.
A starling nestbox high up on the shady side of a house also helps.
For more information see www.rspb.org.uk/hfw.
