NORTH bird lovers have been invited to help discover which bird will be crowned the number one feathered visitor to gardens this winter.

The RSPB, which is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Big Garden Birdwatch, the world's biggest survey of its kind, is asking people to help out this weekend.

Last year, about 8,000 people in the North-East and North Yorkshire took part, and the house sparrow was found to be the most common.

County Durham's ten most common garden birds were: 1 house sparrow; 2 starling; 3 blue tit; 4 blackbird; 5 chaffinch; 6 collared dove; 7 greenfinch; 8 great tit; 9 robin; 10 dunnock.

Big Garden Birdwatch takes place every year during the last weekend of January, and provides the RSPB with an important health check on garden bird numbers.

People are asked to spend an hour counting the birds in their garden or local park, and record the highest number of each species seen at any one time.

The RSPB said that the morning was the best time to look, when the birds were feeding.

David Hirst, of the RSPB's North-East office, said: "It is an incredible achievement for a survey to reach its 25th anniversary."

Last year's survey showed starling numbers fell by 67 per cent and house sparrow numbers by 52 per cent since the survey began.

For tips on how to take part in the survey, go to www.rspb. org.uk/birdwatch or call (01767) 680551.