Feeding wild birds in your garden

In the winter many people like to supplement their garden with wild bird food and especially in harsh weather this can be a real life saver for the wild birds. Not only does this benefit the wild birds but it also gives you the addition of beautiful wild birds and hours of entertainment.

The main questions often asked about bird feeding are when to feed the birds?, when should you stop feeding birds?, where should I feed the birds?, what should i feed the birds? and why should I feed the birds?

A fair proportion of birds migrate south in the winter to eat insects which is their main food source, but our resident birds have to compete with birds, such as thrushes and blackbirds, that have migrated here from northern countries, such as Scandinavia, so after the glut of autumn fruits has passed, and insects are no longer flying, which is why winter is the perfect time to feed the birds.

There are two thought on when you should stop feeding birds. The first says to stop feeding the wild birds gradually once winter is over and more natural foods become available. The other says that stopping increases the stress to birds when they are already under pressure building bird nests, defending territories for example. It is true that allowing blue tits to feed their young on wild bird peanuts is likely to cause their death as the young birds can't digest the nuts.

You could strike a happy medium and switch to other bird foods that are high in protein. There is always natural food available in the garden in summer, with greenfly and caterpillars in abundance, but many people continue feeding with things like wild bird seed mix which is a great benefit for the wild birds.

Different species of wild birds have different feeding habits. Hanging bird food is ideal for members of the tit family, so using a peanut feeder is fine aslong as it is high enough out of the way of cats.

It is best to provide nearbycover such as trees and hedges because if the food is exposed the birds may be in danger from sparrowhawks. It isn't advised to put the wild bird food near nest boxes as the busy atmostphere will put the birds off nesting.

Bird tables are suited to most types of bird and have the benefit of being off the ground so other foraging animals like mice and rats can't get at it. A roof to the bird table helps to keep rain off but is not essential. Many birds prefer to eat on the ground, so put bird food on the lawn.

If you have old trees, you can smear fats and fix nuts into crevices in the trunk, which nuthatches, treecreepers and woodpeckers adore. Fresh water should be provided in a shallow container so wild birds can drink and bath without danger of drowning.

The best foods to feed wild birds with are high energy foods such as various wild bird nuts and bird seeds, but things such as soaked bread, leftover cakes and apples cut up are good aswell, but wild bird seed provides all the energy the birds need throughout the winter.

People have been feeding birds for many years simply for their own pleasure, but there is more to it than that. The massive loss of habitat in the wider countryside has meant that birds have retreated back to where there is still food - surviving hedgerows, nature reserves and privately owned wildlife friendly areas - of which gardens form the major part.

The best wildlife gardens are those that provide a wide range of natural bird foods, shelter and water. But even these struggle to support the numbers of birds attracted to gardens in winter. By supplementing their diets with extra bird food, you are in a way, maintaining a falsely high population of birds in your garden, and once you have started feeding it would be disastrous to them if you stopped as there is simply not the wild food available.