As the RSPB’s annual Big Garden Birdwatch approaches, many nature enthusiasts are preparing to participate in the world’s largest garden wildlife survey. Hundreds of thousands are set to record garden birds, contributing to a vital picture of their welfare.
For those who received a bird feeder over Christmas, or indeed any keen bird lover, a crucial question arises: are all feeders safe and suitable for the birds?
While the desire to support local wildlife and enhance personal wellbeing drives many to feed garden birds, the market is flooded with options, prompting concerns about which types might be best avoided.
Hayley Willmington, RSPB head of buying and merchandising, offers the following advice.
Features and feeders to avoid
Don’t go for feeders that aren’t easy to take apart or clean, or that require extra tools to do so.
Also, watch out for feeders with sharp perch edges or gaps, which could cause injury to birds.
Avoid suet that comes in netting as birds could get beaks or feet trapped in it.
And avoid flat feeders including bird tables, but also flat trays beneath hanging feeders due to the potential for the spread of disease. There is evidence to suggest that damp food on flat feeding surfaces like bird tables can increase the risks of spreading disease among some garden birds.
What feeders should you be using?
Hanging feeders are simple to set up, can be hung in various locations and are a great option for smaller gardens or balconies where space is limited.
When selecting which style to use, or if you’ve been gifted one, key things to look out for are features that promote good standards of cleanliness and hygiene.
Use feeders which are well-constructed and can be easily taken apart for cleaning without the need for any additional tools. The material is also important, as this needs to be something non-porous such as glazed ceramic, plastic or powder coated metal.
Use feeders which keep out damp
The best-designed feeders will have good ventilation, waterproofing and drainage features. It’s also worth inspecting the perch shapes on a feeder, to make sure there’s no sharp edges or gaps which could cause injury and that they generally provide a comfortable perching position for feeding birds.
Be aware of types of feed to use with hanging feeders
Garden birds’ diets differ from species to species, so it’s important to reflect this variation in the provision of the feed you offer. Suet pellet feeders often draw various species of the tit family, alongside nuthatches, while fat balls or cakes will appeal to tits as well as starlings.
Peanuts tend to prove popular with tits, woodpeckers, nuthatches and siskins, and nyjer seeds are particularly well-suited to goldfinches and siskins (though ensure you use a specialist feeder with narrower port holes, to avoid the very fine seeds from falling to the ground). If you’d like to attract a broad range of visitors, then sunflower hearts are popular with a lot of garden species.
Mealworms are also a nutritious treat for birds, which can be provided in a dome feeder or on a little tray. As with the other types of feed, only provide small amounts of mealworms that will be eaten quickly.
Be hygiene aware
Don’t let uneaten feed build up in a feeder, to reduce any chance of it becoming wet and contaminated. Only fill yours with as much feed as you would expect to be eaten within 48 hours.
Rotate the position of your feeders regularly, as this can avoid any build-up of debris or droppings underneath. It’s critical that dropped seed is cleared up regularly and disposed of, because the chances of it being contaminated are high.
Place feeders carefully
Make sure your feeders are spread out around the garden to help prevent birds congregating in a small area and that the feeders are placed high enough off the ground to be safe from ground predators and ideally a couple of metres away from some dense cover (like bushes), so that birds have a safe place to retreat to from aerial predators.
Keep them clean
Regular cleaning is essential. All feeders should be cleaned out and scrubbed (with a 5 per cent bleach solution) at least every week – and if you’re also providing water for birds, this needs to be replaced with fresh water on a daily basis.
Registration is now open for Big Garden Birdwatch, which takes place from 23-25 January.
