Households are urged to leave food out for blackbirds and thrushes in January (Image: Getty)
UK households are being warned to leave food out for blackbirds and thrushes in January to ensure the birds have access to food.
can be a tricky period for birds as their natural food sources are harder to come by, with the likes of berries, seeds and fruit being much more scarce when the .
Meanwhile, other food sources like live insects and worms can be more difficult to find as the ground can become hard, or even frozen, in the .
Both blackbirds and thrushes are resident birds who stay in the UK all year round and don’t hibernate in the winter, so it’s important that help ensure they have access to food.
Gardeners’ World warns: “Winter is a difficult time for birds – they need to find food for energy and to build fat stores to keep warm through long, cold nights. Smaller birds need to eat up to a third of their bodyweight each day.
“There are two ways in which you can feed birds in winter. Firstly you can grow plants that will provide them with food, such as berries and seeds, and other plants that will provide a habitat for insects that they can eat.
“Secondly, you can provide birds with supplementary bird food in bird feeders – especially useful during winter and early spring, when natural foods are in short supply, and snow and ice can make accessing them harder. But it’s worth making sure that feeders are kept topped up all year round, as birds will get used to them and it saves them making a wasted journey.”
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) says blackbirds and thrushes favour eating fruit and recommends scattering a mixture of over-ripe apples, raisins and song-bird mixes on the ground for them in winter.
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Food is best left scattered on the ground or put on a bird table rather than in a hanging feeder as it makes it easier for these birds to access the food.
If you’re using a bird table make sure to clean it regularly and move it to different locations around the garden to help prevent any contamination build up which can cause Trichomonosis – a contagious disease that affects the upper digestive tract of birds. The disease is spread through the saliva of infected birds, so it can easily be picked up from dropped or regurgitated food.
If food gets damp it should be removed from bird tables as it’s susceptible to mould and bacteria which can make birds ill, so using a covered bird table is a safer option.