The humble house sparrow is the most common bird in Kent's gardens, according to an RSPB survey.

The sparrow's No.1 spot was revealed thanks to more than 16,000 people in the county taking part in the charity's Big Garden Birdwatch, which involved an hour watching the birds in their gardens or in open spaces.

Carried out in January before the coronavirus outbreak, the study found smaller birds such as long-tailed tits, wrens and coal tits were also thriving, thanks to the milder winter.

The house sparrow was in the No.1 spot in Kent, while the starling was seen the second most often, and the blue tit making it into the top three.

Daniel Hayhow, RSPB conservation scientist, said: “Small birds suffer during long, cold winters but the warmer January weather this year appears to have given species such as the wren and long-tailed tit a boost.

"Over the survey’s lifetime, we’ve seen the increasing good fortunes of birds such as the coal tit and goldfinch and the alarming declines of the house sparrow and starling. But there appears to be good news for one of these birds."

The Birdwatch, which is in its 41st year, had seen an overall decline in house sparrow numbers, by 53% from 1979 to 2010, but in the last decade (2010 to 2020) numbers have actually increased by 10%.

He added: "This gives us hope that at least a partial recovery may be happening.”

In Kent, the survey found the fourth most popular bird spotted in people's gardens in Kent was the wood pigeon, followed by the collared dove. Sixth was the blackbird and seventh was the great tit, with the goldfinch at No. 8; magpie in ninth place and the robin in tenth place - the same spot it was in last year.

The songthrush was the garden bird spotted the least, ranked 20th, after only being seen in just 9.1% of gardens. The species was a firm fixture in the Top 10 back in the first Birdwatch in 1979, but has seen a steady decline since. By 2009, its numbers were less than half those recorded in 1979.

Throughout the first half of the spring term school children also took part in the RSPB’s Big Schools Birdwatch, spotting birds in their school grounds.

More than 2,200 pupils in Kent took part, spending an hour counting the birds around their school, with the blackbird coming out on top - it was seen an average of five times per school and was seen in 85% of the schools that took part.

Beccy Speight, the RSPB’s chief executive, said: “We know that for many people, garden birds provide an important connection to the wider world and bring enormous joy. These are difficult and unsettling times for all of us, but we hope that nature can provide a welcome respite in whichever form and wherever you may encounter it.

“Despite everything that’s going on in the world, nature is still doing its thing. Birds are singing and blossom is bursting. Watching wildlife, whether from a window or a balcony or even online, can offer many of us hope, joy and a welcome distraction, and so we are keen to help you carry on connecting with the natural world."

The RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch survey is the largest citizen science survey in the UK and is a part of the RSPB’s Centre for Conservation Science, helping to find practical solutions to the most pressing conservation problems. To find out more go to rspb.org.uk and follow the charity @Natures_Voice.

To find out how to join in with the RSPB's daily Breakfast Birdwatch click here.

Here's how to join the National Trust's Blossom Watch.