The number of birds counted by participants in January’s Big Garden Birdwatch was down, with some breeds hitting a five-year low. RSPB says warmer weather had meant that many birds were able to feed in the countryside and were therefore not visiting garden bird tables as frequently.

Song thrushes were down 65 per cent from last year and blackbird numbers were 25 per cent lower. More than 400,000 people took part in the birdwatch, counting 6.5 million birds.

Ruth Davis, head of climate-change policy at the RSPB, said birds were feeling the impact of climate change and urged everyone to think about how their lives damaged the environment: “As changes to our  climate become more extreme, many birds will struggle to cope with the altered weather patterns.”