Researchers were ‘shocked’ to discover some species settling down for sleep 50 minutes later than rural counterparts

The BirdWatch Ireland advice is to clean bird feeders thoroughly at least once a week to control the trichomonas parasite which has impacted many finches

Birdwatching experts are appealing to homeowners to look after their small feathered friends in the coming months by leaving out a selection of seeds, nuts and scraps for them.