People with bird tables in their gardens have been issued a warning (Image: Getty)
Bird tables are a handy garden accessory to provide birds that visit your garden a sheltered place to eat and drink.
But experts have warned people to be aware that bird tables can spread disease, so of using them in certain instances.
According to the (RHS), offering seed to birds on a is not advised in gardens where pigeons, doves, greenfinches or chaffinches are known to visit. This is because it increases the potential for transmission of trichomonosis and these particular species of bird are more prone to being infected with the parasite that causes it.
The contagious disease affects the upper digestive tract of birds and is transmitted via the saliva of infected birds which can be present on food that has been dropped or regurgitated.
Trichomonosis is widely acknowledged to have caused the rapid decline of the British greenfinch population since 2006, but it has also been documented in House Sparrows, Dunnocks, Great Tits and Siskin.
The RHS warns: “In gardens where pigeons, doves, greenfinches or chaffinches are known to visit, offering seed on table or ground feeders is not advised due to the increased potential for transmission of trichomonosis as these species are prone to being infected with the parasite that causes this disease.
“This parasitic disease is transmitted via the saliva of infected birds, which can be present on dropped or regurgitated food, and has caused a decline of around 70% of the British greenfinch population since 2006.”
Birds that are affected by the disease show signs of general illness, such as lethargy and fluffed-up plumage, and they may show difficulty swallowing and have laboured breathing.
To help prevent the disease, it is advised that gardeners follow good hygiene precautions when feeding garden birds and handling bird tables and feeders.
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Feeding tables should be cleaned and disinfected regularly with a weak solution of domestic bleach, or other specially designed commercial products.
All surfaces should be rinsed with clean water and air dried before using and feeders should be regularly rotated to avoid any contamination build up in an area of ground underneath.
If you suspect any birds in your garden may be affected by the disease you should stop feeding for at least two weeks to encourage them to disperse and only reintroduce feeding when you are no longer seeing birds displaying signs of disease.
If you wish to report signs of disease in birds in your garden you can do so online via .