UK Rarer Garden Bird Tally Sheet / Daily Bird Count Activity

What’s included?

This download includes x1 landscape orientation pdf sheet.

What’s it for?

This interactive tally sheet is designed for children to record bird sightings in real-time, whether looking through a window or exploring outdoors. It helps learners practice counting and data recording by marking a tally next to each of ten rarer UK garden birds as they are spotted.

Who’s it for?

This resource has been designed for early years children, pupils in years one and two as well as older students who would enjoy observing and identifying birds each day.

Resource Details

This resource introduces more elusive species, helping children build a wider knowledge of UK bird types as they become confident 'Nature Experts'.

This ready-to-use tally sheet is ready to go, just print and attach to a clipboard, making it perfect for garden/playtime investigations or forest school sessions. The layout is organised into a clear grid, featuring ten illustrations of rarer UK garden birds alongside dedicated boxes for tallying sightings with a space (right side) to count up and record the total number.

There is dedicated space for the learner to write their name at the base of the sheet (center) and at the top right to record both the day of the week and the numerical date, helping to build daily literacy and numeracy habits.

When used as an extension resource learners can progress their skills from the ten most common garden birds resource (see link below).

Educational Value

EYFS

This resource is designed to support the following areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage:

• Maths: Practising counting and recording data with tally marks.

• Understanding the World: Identifying common species and observing nature.

• Communication: Building descriptive vocabulary through real-world observation.

Learning Objectives

By using this resource, children will develop the following skills:

• Observation: To develop 'slow-looking' skills by focusing on movement and specific features to identify different bird species.

• Recording Data: To learn how to translate real-world observations into a written record using a tally system.

• Scientific Inquiry: To notice and describe patterns in nature, such as which birds visit at certain times or in different weather conditions.

• Literacy & Organisation: To practice functional writing by labelling their own work with their name and date.

Suggestions:

Supporting Resources

Designed to be used alongside the 'Ten Most Common Birds' sheet: UK Ten Most Common Garden Bird Tally Sheet / Daily Bird Count Activity.

Tallying help

For help with understanding tallying: Tally marks and tallying, an Introduction (Data Handling)

Outdoor Learning

To make this resource reusable and 'weather-proof,' simply place the sheet inside a clear polypocket or laminate it. Learners can then use wipe-clean pens to record their tallies, making it perfect for damp days in the garden or forest school sessions!

Important message…

Any issues please let us know - we are happy to make changes.