As I write, birds large and small perch on the bare stems of honeysuckle and roses on the pergola outside the window, their feathers puffed up against the biting November wind. Occasionally, a fieldmouse will scuttle across the steps to the protection of the ivy beyond. It is a distracting scene.

I live in the country, so I have a head start when it comes to providing five-star accommodation for wildlife - which, unfortunately for the veg patch and tulip bulbs, also includes badgers, rabbits and squirrels - but the real reason this wintry garden is as busy as the skies above Heathrow is that it is so darned scruffy. My lack of zeal in cutting the grass, chopping back spent perennials and pruning unruly shrubs has created a veritable Fortnum & Mason food hall of fodder.

Joining the tits (coal, longtailed, great and blue), blackbirds, starlings, woodpeckers, wrens, greenfinches and robins that visit my garden are house sparrows. I’m honoured: a report this month by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, De Mont-fort University and Natural England has highlighted the decline in the population ofPasser domesticus, which is down by 68% since 1977 - and in London, once home to the “cockney sparrow”, it is all but extinct.

“This is partly down to the loss of green spaces within British cities through development, tree removal and the conversion of front gardens for parking,” says Dr Kate Vincent, one of the report’s authors. “The loss of deciduous greenery in urban areas may have made life more difficult for birds such as house sparrows, which need large numbers of insects to feed their young.”

Okay, so they are small, brown and scruffy, but sparrows have rights, too - like other, more striking species such as starlings and song thrushes, which are also in decline. Our annexed garden space is not for the sole enjoyment of humans, and the birds and beasts, such as hedgehogs, in their turn feast on insects and other pests, so it is in our interests to share the space. In an ideal world, however, the guest list should exclude the local cat population (it’s poor form to devour fellow invitees), grey squirrels (which behave rather yobbishly when it comes to getting their claws on the nuts) and rabbits (which eat all the food before anyone else gets a look in).

Here are some suggestions for helping wildlife get through winter.

Plants: The sparrow report blames the tendency of gardeners to plant hedges that are too dense for them to nest in, such as leylandii (although smaller birds, such as wrens and goldcrests, relish this cover). To create an environment that is welcoming to all, make sure there are plenty of trees and native species, and include shrubs that produce berries, fruit and hips, such as hawthorns, wild roses, pyracantha (if you want the berry display on this to last a while, choose orange or yellow varieties, as the birds seem to go for the red ones first), cotoneasters, ivy, berberis and crab apples. Leave windfall apples on the ground and you will be popular with blackbirds.

Although some plants will start to look so soggy and awful that there is nothing to do but cut them back, resist the temptation to tidy up spent stalks if they have seeds that provide food. Examples include sunflowers, teasels, lavender, evening primrose, cornflower and heather – and, if the birds don’t fancy the seeds of others, they may eat the small insects that are harboured within the pods.

Decking, gravel and concrete all reduce the environment in which wildlife can thrive, so make sure there is a corner left scruffy to provide shelter for small mammals such as shrews, fieldmice and voles, as well as hibernating toads and hedgehogs (favourite food: slugs). This will also give you an excuse for not having got round to tidying up.

Human handouts: Both the RSPB and the British Trust for Ornithology recommend putting out food for the birds all year round, but even if you don’t do this, feeding them over the winter will help them when other sources of nourishment are scarce. Garden centres stock a vast range of seeds, nuts and fat balls to suit different species, as well as feeders and tables. Put out more than one source of food, so the more aggressive species, such as magpies and great tits, do not bully the smaller birds and there is plenty for all. Larger species, more able to look out for themselves against predators, will feed from scraps such as cheese and apples scattered on the lawn.

Hang nuts, seeds and fat where there are plenty of nearby landing stations, such as branches and twigs, where the birds can wait their turn in safety - but make sure there is nowhere for cats to linger, waiting for a feathery snack. Squirrels, too, are an inveterate - and cunning - nuisance, so you should hang the food well out of their way. Adding curry powder or paprika to the food seems to deter them without affecting the birds. Don’t put out anything salty, though.

Make sure that there’s always a bowl of fresh water available, especially in icy weather, when other sources might have frozen over.

Hygiene: Clean and disinfect your bird table and feeders every few weeks, as disease could spread where many species congregate. Move things around so that the ground below doesn’t become contaminated from the build-up of droppings, nutshells and dropped crumbs.

If you are putting out scraps on a bird table, make sure you don’t leave any more than can be eaten in one day; otherwise you may, as I did, find a large rat helping itself. There is a limit to the sort of wildlife one wants to encourage.

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