In no way am I an expert on birds, but I do belong to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and do my bit in the garden when it comes to feeding our feathered visitors.
The RSPB’s latest newsletter, though, has given me food for thought!
I wanted to pass on some important advice to those of you who also enjoy seeing birds in their garden.
The following is taken directly from the RSPB’s online magazine, but l am sure they won’t mind me spreading some important information.
“Encouraging birds to gather around a feeder can have a serious effect on their health. Spread through the saliva of birds, the microscopic parasite Trichomonas gallinae can cause a disease, trichomonosis, which has proved fatal for several garden bird species. This disease has caused the recent worrying declines of Chaffinches and Greenfinches, and our scientists suspect it is likely to be affecting other bird species, too.
Although trichomonosis is a threat all year round, the risk of disease spreading is higher during the warmer months. This is also when adult birds will be taking potentially infected food to feed their young.
From the beginning of May until the end of October, we recommend you pause feeding peanuts and seeds. Gradually reduce the seeds and nuts you put out during April, then stop at the beginning of May.
If you want to keep feeding birds during May to October, we suggest you only put out small amounts of mealworms or suet. It is natural for many garden birds, such as Blue Tits, to switch from eating seeds to invertebrates during spring and summer. They have evolved to eat what would normally be available to them each season.
Soft food such as caterpillars, spiders and worms is also safer to feed to their chicks as they are less likely than nuts and seeds to get lodged in their throats.
The RSPB will pause selling seeds and peanuts for birds between May and October, but will continue to sell suet and mealworms throughout the year.
Feed safer
“Flat feeder surfaces such as seed-catching trays and bird tables should no longer be used, as these increase the risk of disease spread,” says Will (Will Peach, the RSPB’s Head of Conservation Science in England and Wales)
Research shows that these feeders present the highest risk because they can easily retain regurgitated, damp food and bird faeces. The RSPB removed feeders with flat surfaces from sale in December 2024 as a precautionary measure. The RSPB and other Garden Wildlife Health partners are working together to trial new feeder designs to make bird feeding safer.
Spreading feeders apart and moving them around your garden probably also reduces the risk of disease spread. That helps to mimic the way birds would move naturally between different food sources in the wild, rather than repeatedly returning to the same location.
You can judge how much food to provide by the speed at which it is removed. Food in nut and seed feeders should be eaten within two days to reduce the risk of disease spread. If you find your local birds are not getting through the food fast enough, reduce the amount that you offer.
Bird feeders should be cleaned at least once each week. It’s best to wait until they are empty, then clean thoroughly and refill. Avoid adding new food on top of old food, and make sure the seed is not accumulating on the ground below feeders.
Regular cleaning of feeders can contribute to reducing disease spread, but combining it with the advice above will have a much bigger impact in improving safety for garden birds.”
