THE house sparrow is ruffling a few feathers in Worcestershire after being named the county’s most common bird.

Blackbirds and blue tits are close behind in the list of feathered friends often seen in the area’s gardens and parks.

More than 7,500 Worcestershire residents observed the birds for an hour one weekend at the end of January and, on average, 3.4 was the highest number of sparrows spotted at one time.

The figure was 2.9 for the blackbird and 2.8 for the blue tit.

But the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), which staged the annual Big Garden Birdwatch survey, says some of Britain’s most threatened and best-loved species continue to decline in numbers.

For instance starlings, which receive the highest conservation protection because of their ‘red-listed’ status, are only seventh on the Worcestershire list having been fourth last year.

House sparrows may have topped the county list but nationally numbers dropped by 17 per cent.

Martin Harper, RSPB conservation director, said: ”We know from the many people who take part in Big Garden Birdwatch every year that garden birds are incredibly precious to us and connect us to nature every day.

“I had the joy of doing the Birdwatch with my children again this year and, fidgeting aside, it was one of those memorable mornings when the family is captivated by nature.

“But, several of our familiar and best-loved species have been declining at alarming rates over the 34 years that the RSPB has been running the Birdwatch and this year’s results show a continuing decline.”

Nationally the top three is the same as Worcestershire. The rest of the county’s top 10 reads; (from fourth) woodpigeon, chaffinch, great tit, starling, long-tailed tit, robin and goldfinch.

Last year in Worcestershire, the house sparrow also came top of the table with 3.8, although blue tits were second (3.7) and blackbirds third (3.6).