THE Starling is the most common bird in UK school grounds - with the black-headed gull topping the table in North Yorkshire - according to the latest survey announced by the RSPB.

An average of 7.5 starlings per school were recorded by children, who spent their time gazing out of the classroom window - with the blessing of their teacher - to take part in the RSPB's Big Schools' Birdwatch.

Starlings - Britain's top school bird
Photo: David Tipling / rspb-images.com

A record 1,400 schools, involving more than 36,000 youngsters, took part in the survey and counted 69,000 birds over the space of one week in January and February.

Ros Patching, RSPB Big Schools' Birdwatch manager said: "The birdwatch is a simple activity that connects children with the colour and life - birdlife - outside the classroom window.

"It works with groups of children across a wide age range. It's fun and a good way for children to learn about wildlife while helping teachers deliver the curriculum."

The Big Schools' Birdwatch is the schools' version of the long-running RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch, which earlier this year resulted in the House Sparrow being crowned North Yorkshire's top bird.

The aim of the survey, now in its fourth year, is to help to build a clearer picture of birds at school and show the importance of school grounds for birds.

The black-headed gull, which flew into first place in North Yorkshire, is a special school bird; according to the RSPB they hardly ever appear in gardens because they like to feed in groups, on big, damp grassy areas like school fields where they find lots of worms.

The house sparrow, top of the Big Garden Birdwatch list, is at number four in the national school's list and fourteenth in North Yorkshire, one of several results that illustrate the difference between the birds found in school grounds and on playing fields from those in our gardens.

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