Feeding garden birds
Providing garden birds with food can be a rewarding way to enjoy nature, and can help them when food is hard to find.
However, updated guidance from the RSPB means we’re changing our advice on feeding garden birds. There’s evidence that how we feed birds can impact the spread of diseases like trichomonosis. This disease has led to a drop in some of our garden birds, particularly finches.
Seasonal feeding of birds
Finches are more vulnerable to disease, and mainly eat seeds or peanuts. So please don’t offer birds seeds or peanuts between May and October, when there’s a higher risk of disease spreading. They’re also the months when birds can find natural sources of food relatively easily.
May to October:
- Stop putting seeds or peanuts in your bird feeders. You can carry on offering small amounts of mealworms, fatballs or suet, as finches don’t usually eat these.
November to April:
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You can feed garden birds a full range of healthy bird foods, including seeds and peanuts.
Clean feeders at least weekly, drying them before refilling. Rotating where you put your feeders will help reduce the transmission of disease.
Please stop using flat feeders, like bird tables. Even daily cleaning isn’t enough to reduce the risk of healthy birds eating food regurgitated by sick birds.
Place your feeders:
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Up high, well above cat height;
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Away from bushes and other areas where predators might hide;
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Away from cat perches such as branches and walls;
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Away from places where birds roost, such as under trees, to help avoid contamination from droppings.
Shop garden and wildlife
Shop garden and wildlife
What garden birds eat
Different birds eat a range of foods, but some should only be offered between November and April:
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Bird-friendly plants (all year): attract birds to your garden all year round by growing a range of plants that provide natural food without spreading disease. Try planting sunflowers, teasels, ivy, and thistles, which other animals will eat and shelter in too.
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Net-free fat or suet balls (all year) - these attract a range of species and provide a great boost of calories.
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Insects such as mealworms or waxworms (all year).
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Suitable seeds and grains (November-April only) - like nyjer, millet, oats, and sunflower seeds.
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Unsalted peanuts (November-April only) - must be fresh and good quality, so that they don't contain aflatoxin (a poison caused by fungus mould). Young chicks might choke on whole peanuts, so always put them in feeders with a smaller mesh.
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Fruit - apples, pears and soft fruits.
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Food scraps - cooked pasta, rice and boiled potatoes, or mild hard cheese and uncooked and unsalted bacon rind.
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Raisins and sultanas - if you have dogs, be careful with grapes, sultanas and raisins, as they're toxic to dogs.
Fresh water
Only put water out for birds if you can change it every day, using tap water, and if there is no local pond available. Clean water baths at least once a week. Rotating where you place the water will also help reduce the transmission of disease.
Ponds are a good source of water, as well as being a good habitat for other wildlife. They’re also less likely to spread disease than bird baths.
Follow our advice if you find a sick or injured bird.
Keep wildlife safe from pets
When feeding wild animals in your garden, help keep them safe from cats.
- Feeders up high - place feeders up high, well above cat height and away from cat perches such as branches and walls.
- Bird tables out in the open - ensure bird tables are in open areas, away from any cover that cats could use for stalking prey. If mounted on top of a pole, use material such as metal that cats cannot climb.
- Keep food off the ground - this can leave small mammals and birds vulnerable to cats.
- Steep roof bird boxes - bird boxes with features like steep roofs stop cats from sitting on top of them and waiting.
- Houses for small mammals - logs, stone and compost piles provide refuge or purpose-built refuges like toad or hedgehog houses.
