Gardeners are being urged to leave out four food items for birds this spring (Image: Getty)
Spring is finally returning in the UK and with it thousands of birds are flocking back to our gardens up and down the country for their most important time of year – breeding season.
March, April and May represent the vital months which will see birds of all varieties breeding and nesting, which is crucial to their survival especially with populations of some British songbirds having been threatened by and habitat loss in the past three decades. Because of the need to help birds in spring, are being urged to do their bit to help our feathered friends and leave key items out on bird tables and in bird feeders this spring.
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Whether it’s robins, sparrows, starlings, blackbirds or the many types of tits and finches, every British bird will benefit from a helping hand this spring.
According to the RSPB, there are several types of foods you should leave out on bird tables and in feeders.
If you don’t want to fork out for specialist foods like mealworms, four food items you probably have at home can be left out for birds: Uncooked oats, cooked rice, sunflower hearts and peanuts.
Different foods work well for different birds. Hanging upright feeders are great for finches, tits and sparrows, who will eat sunflower hearts. Peanuts, too, should go in upright feeders.
Thrushes and dunnocks prefer to feed on the ground, so you can scatter foods on the ground as long as they are in a clear spot away from places cats can hide. Uncooked oats, cooked rice and seeds can all go on the ground as well as in upright feeders.
The RSPB added: “Feed your birds all year if you can, but adjust the amount you put out. Feeding birds in the spring and summer may help them to raise their chicks more successfully. Remember, always put peanuts in a rigid mesh feeder, as large pieces of nut can choke baby birds.
“Thrushes and dunnocks prefer to feed on the ground. For these birds, scatter food on the lawn or use a ground feeding tray or hopper well clear of cover to avoid lurking cats. Remember to change the area you scatter the food over every few days, and never put out more than is eaten the same day.”
One last thing to remember is to regularly clean any flat bird tables that you use. This is because new research currently being undertaken suggests a possible link between flat bird tables and the spread of a disease which harms finches, thought to be due to bird feed left out exposed to bad weather. while it investigates and is otherwise urging people to clean flat bird tables regularly.