The Big Garden Birdwatch is this weekend, and bird experts at Vine House Farm are warning gardeners to reconsider how they will feed their birds after RSPB suspended all bird tables and related products.
This comes after evidence suggested that feeding birds on flat surfaces can increase the spread of disease among finches. The number of greenfinch birds has already fallen by 69% between 2008 and 2018 due to parasitic disease. Additionally, the UK has lost more than 38 million birds in the past 50 years.
Lucy Taylor, bird expert for Vine House Farm, has explained the RSPB’s action and has shared her top tips to keep your garden birds safe during the Birdwatch by feeding them responsibly. You can find her full comments below.
“Providing garden birds with food on bird tables, ground trays and other small and confined flat surfaces, does carry a particular risk to the health of birds because of the increased chance of disease transmission.
This is because the disease Tricomonosis – which especially affects Greenfinches and Chaffinches – can more easily be transmitted when an infected bird drops food onto the flat surface, which another bird then picks up.
The other main problem is bacteria from decaying food and waste from seed husks which builds up on a flat surface, potentially leading to Salmonella – which again can be fatal to birds and in particular species of finch.
But the good news is that these risks to birds can be greatly reduced if very regular and thorough cleaning is carried out on all types of bird feeders, plus other measures are taken”
How to Feed Birds on Flat Surfaces Safely
- Regularly Clean Bird Feeders: “If you are unable to regularly and thoroughly clean bird tables and other flat-surfaced feeders, you should avoid using these feeding methods. However, note that all types of bird feeders must be kept clean.”
- Rotate Bird Feeder Locations to Prevent Disease: “Regularly change the location of all bird feeders in your garden. This includes bird tables, ground trays, hanging tube seed feeders, and hanging suet feeders. Birds often feed on food that has dropped to the ground, which can easily become contaminated by waste and droppings.”
- Consider Alternatives to Bird Tables: “Scattering bird food such as sunflower hearts on larger flat areas like decking, patios, driveways, or short-cut lawns is a good alternative to bird tables and ground trays. However, be sure to rotate the areas used. Ground feeding is especially important for species like blackbirds, which cannot easily use hanging feeders.”
- Limit the Amount of Bird Food Provided: “No matter which ground feeding method you use, limit the amount of bird food you provide to what can be consumed within a single day. Additionally, switch to sunflower hearts or husk-free seed mixes if you haven’t already, as they generate far less waste and are more efficiently eaten by birds.
- Maintain Clean Bird Baths: “Clean bird baths daily and allow them to air dry before refilling. The drying process helps ensure that the Trichomonosis parasite does not survive. If you feed birds in your garden, please continue doing so. However, make hygiene your top priority to safeguard their health.”
Why You Should Avoid Buying Cheap Mixes
“The type of bird food used significantly impacts the health of birds and the risk of disease. This is because husk-free seed, such as sunflower hearts and husk-free mixes, produces far less waste compared to black sunflower seeds and standard seed mixes.
Cheap bird food mixes are not only a waste of money, as songbirds eat very little of the contents but also pose a health risk. When uneaten food accumulates on the ground or bird table, it begins to rot, potentially attracting Salmonella bacteria. Additionally, it may temporarily harbour the single-celled parasite Trichomonas gallinae, which causes the fatal disease Trichomonosis. This can occur when an infected bird drops uneaten seed, which another bird then picks up.”