Feeding the birds that visit your garden is a great way to supplement their diet particularly in areas where natural food sources have been depleted. However, you need to be aware that there are some foods that you shouldn’t put out for them and could do more harm than good.
Bad bird food can cause malnutrition and disease or make them vulnerable to predators. Avoiding these foods will ensure your garden birds stay happy and healthy.
It is not a good idea to feed a lot of bread to birds. Although a small amount is ok as part of a balanced diet bread has little nutritional value and should not be the main food source for wild birds.
Try and avoid processed white bread altogether and choose healthier options such as wholegrain or seeded breads. Bread can also be used to hold other foods such as lard, suet, or peanut butter.
If you want to feed ducks and swans at your local pond there are many alternative foods for waterfowl that are better for them.
Birds are only able to process tiny amounts of salt and it is not something they would commonly encounter in the wild. Avoid any foods that are high in salt such as cooked and processed meats, crisps, chips, and salted nuts and seeds, and don’t add salt to bird baths to keep the water free from ice in winter.
Eating too much junk food is bad for humans and the same can be said for birds. Junk food such as crisps, cakes, biscuits, burgers, and pizza can be high in fat which can provide birds with much needed energy but they offer little else in the way of nutritional value and the chemicals used in processing these types of food have not been tested in birds.
A few crumbs are fine but research has shown that birds gorging on junk food have less good bacteria in their guts which can make digesting nutrients and fighting disease much harder.
Unsalted air-popped popcorn or homemade muffins and fruit cakes can be a safe alternative if you want to give your garden birds a tasty treat.
Bird seed can go off it is not stored properly as can seed that’s left in feeders for too long. Spoiled bird seed can harbour bacteria, parasites, mould, and fungi all of which can harm birds. When putting out bird seed check that it does not smell off. Seed with s high oil content that’s gone off will have a rancid smell and dusty, dry seed or seed that’s started to sprout is another sign that you shouldn’t give it to birds.
Store your bird food in airtight containers in a cool, dry place and somewhere out of the reach of rodents. Only put a little seed out at a time and remove any uneaten food before it has a chance to spoil.
The use of pesticides on agricultural crops can have a devastating effect on wild birds. Even small amounts can be harmful so if you feed your birds fruit and vegetables you want to make sure that you remove any traces from the skin. Give fruit and vegetables a good scrub to remove any pesticides and the wax coating before you feed them to your garden birds. If in doubt you can peel them although this will remove some of their nutritional value.
The best fruit and vegetables you can give to garden birds are those you’ve grown in your own garden, or you could ask a friend or neighbour for some windfalls or spares from a glut. If you don’t have much room in your garden sunflowers will produce seeds that will attract goldfinches as well as insects for a wider variety of species.
Many birds are carnivorous and birds of prey and corvids such as crows, jays, and magpies, will happily eat animal carcasses in the wild. However, it’s not a good idea to offer them raw meat in your garden as it can go off very quickly, particularly in warm weather, and will harbour salmonella and other dangerous bacteria. Raw meat will also attract pests such as rats, cats, and foxes. Offer solid animal fat such as suet and lard instead.
Birds are lactose intolerant and cannot process milk. It can cause serious stomach upsets and diarrhoea, and in large quantities can even be fatal. Avoid dairy products such as milk, cream, and yogurt, as well as milk puddings and custards or any other food that contains a lot of milk.
The exception is hard cheese which has been fermented so most of the lactose has been removed. Mild grated cheese is a high-energy treat for your garden birds and will attract robins, wrens, dunnocks, and blackbirds.
If you ever have leftover chocolate – unlikely we know – you can’t feed it to your garden birds. Chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine which are stimulants and can cause vomiting and diarrhoea, an increased heart rate, seizures, and can even result in the death of birds.
Chocolate can also contain high quantities of milk and sugar, both of which birds should avoid.
Avocados may be a superfood for humans but they may be superbad for garden birds. They contain a fungicidal toxin similar to a fatty acid called persin, that is harmless to humans but when ingested by certain animals including birds can cause heart failure and even death.
Although it’s not known exactly how toxic avocados are to birds, it’s better to be safe than sorry and avoid feeding them to your garden birds.
Solid fat such as suet and lard is a great source of energy for your garden birds. However, you shouldn’t give your garden birds the fat from your roasting tin as it stays soft even when it solidifies which can damage a bird’s feathers.
Roasting fat can also contain high levels of salt and as it’s mixed with the juices from the meat can go off quickly if you leave it out for your garden birds.
One Response
Can I feed my wild birds raw uncooked pork fat from the butcher shop?