Five common garden bird species in Eastern France 

All five species are widespread across the region, and many are year-round residents you can see in villages, gardens, orchards, and forests.

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus – Moineau domestique)

Habitat in Eastern France: Very common in villages, towns, and farms. They thrive around human settlements, often nesting under roof tiles, in barns, or in garden hedges. Numbers have declined in some European cities, but in rural eastern France, they remain widespread.

• Diet: Seeds, grains, and scraps, but in spring they also feed insects to their chicks.
• Behavior: Gregarious and noisy, often found in flocks. They dust-bathe and feed communally.
• Seasonality: Resident year-round in Eastern France.

Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus – Mésange bleue)

Habitat in Eastern France: Found in gardens, orchards, parks, and woodlands, especially where deciduous trees are present. Very common at garden feeders.

• Diet: Insects, spiders, caterpillars (especially important in spring), as well as seeds and nuts in winter. Loves peanuts and fat balls in feeders.
• Behavior: Agile and acrobatic; often seen hanging upside down while feeding. Known for their inquisitive and bold nature.
• Seasonality: Year-round resident. Populations remain stable.

Great Tit (Parus major – Mésange charbonnière)

Habitat in Eastern France: Widespread in gardens, parks, orchards, and forests. Slightly larger than the blue tit, it often dominates feeders.

• Diet: Insects in spring and summer; seeds, nuts, and kitchen scraps in winter. Strong beak allows it to crack larger seeds.
• Behavior: Recognizable two-note song (“teacher-teacher”). Adaptable and intelligent, often investigating nesting boxes.
• Seasonality: Resident year-round. Stable and abundant population in Eastern France.

Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis – Chardonneret élégant)

Habitat in Eastern France: Prefers open country with scattered trees, orchards, meadows, and gardens. They are especially drawn to thistles, teasels, and sunflowers. Increasingly common at feeders with sunflower hearts.

• Diet: Seeds (thistles, teasels, dandelions, sunflower seeds), small insects for chicks.
• Behavior: Small, colorful finches with a distinctive liquid, tinkling song. Often travel in small flocks, especially outside breeding season.
• Seasonality: Resident in Eastern France, though some may move slightly south in harsh winters.

Nuthatch (Sitta europaea – Sittelle torchepot)

Habitat in Eastern France: Found in mature deciduous forests, wooded parks, and large gardens with old trees. Prefers oak and beech woods.

• Diet: Insects, larvae, spiders in summer; nuts and seeds in winter. They often wedge seeds into bark crevices and hammer them open.
• Behavior: Unique ability to climb down tree trunks head-first. Strong, nasal call. At feeders, they are bold but less numerous than tits.
• Seasonality: Resident year-round, usually territorial pairs.