PEOPLE in Yorkshire are being asked to watch the birdie later this month by taking part in the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch - the UK's biggest and longest running garden bird survey.

Open to everyone, you do not have to be a bird expert or even have a garden to take part.

The survey aims to find Yorkshire's most commonly seen garden birds. Run since 1979, the Big Garden Birdwatch has recently highlighted a major decline in the numbers of two of our commonest birds - the starling and the house sparrow.

The RSPB is hoping that local people will again contribute valuable information about both these species and the other birds that visit their gardens.

In North Yorkshire more than 4,000 gardens were watched last year.

To help with this important research is very simple.

All people have to do is phone up for a form or sign up on our website. You then spend an hour counting the birds that visit your garden or local park over next weekend and send in the results.

To send in your results online, visit the RSPB website

www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch. Alternatively, Big Garden Birdwatch packs can be obtained by phoning 0870

6010215.

Updated: 10:17 Monday, January 20, 2003