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As the RSPB’s annual Great Garden Birding event approaches, many nature lovers are gearing up to take part in the world’s largest garden wildlife survey. Hundreds of thousands of people will record garden birds, making an important contribution to understanding their welfare.
For those who receive a bird feeder during the Christmas period, or any avid bird lover, a key question arises: Are all bird feeders safe and suitable for birds?
While the desire to support local wildlife and improve personal well-being drives many people to feed garden birds, the market is flooded with options, raising concerns about which types are best avoided.
Haley Wilmington, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Purchasing and sales executives offer the following advice.
Features and feeders to avoid
Don’t choose a feeder that is not easy to disassemble or clean or that requires additional tools to complete.
Also, be aware of feeders with sharp perching edges or gaps, which can cause harm to birds.
Avoid using suet in netting as birds’ beaks or feet may become trapped in it.
Avoid using flat feeders, including bird stands, but also avoid using flat trays under hanging feeders as disease may be spread. There is evidence that placing wet food on flat eating surfaces such as bird tables increases the risk of disease transmission to some garden birds. Royal Society for the Protection of Birds explain.
What feeder should you use?
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds says hanging feeders are simple to install and can be hung in a variety of locations, making them a good option for smaller gardens or balconies where space is limited.
When choosing which style to use, or if you have a flair, the key thing to look out for is features that promote good cleaning and hygiene standards.
Use feeders that are well constructed and can be easily taken apart for cleaning without any additional tools. The material is also important as it must be non-porous, such as glazed ceramic, plastic or powder-coated metal.
Use moisture-proof feeders
The best designed feeders will have good ventilation, waterproofing, and drainage. It’s also worth checking the shape of the perches on your feeders to ensure there are no sharp edges or gaps that could cause injury, and that they generally provide comfortable perch positions for feeding birds.
Understand the types of feed used in hanging feeders
The charity says garden bird diets vary from species to species, so it’s important to reflect this difference when providing feed. Suet pellet feeders will typically attract various species of the tit family as well as nuthatches, while fat balls or cakes will attract chickadees and starlings.
Peanuts have proven popular with chickadees, woodpeckers, nuthatches and siskins, while Nigel seeds are particularly good for goldfinches and siskins (make sure to use a specialist feeder with a narrow orifice, however, to avoid very fine seeds falling to the ground). If you want to attract a wide range of visitors, sunflower hearts are popular among many garden varieties.
Mealworms are also a nutritious food for birds and can be provided in dome feeders or small trays. As with other types of feed, provide only a small amount of mealworms that will be eaten quickly.
Be hygienic
Do not allow uneaten feed to accumulate in the feeder to reduce the chance of it becoming wet and contaminated. Add only what you expect to eat within 48 hours.
Rotate the position of the feeder regularly as this will avoid any debris or droppings accumulating underneath. Regular cleaning and disposal of dropped seed is crucial as the potential for it to become contaminated is high.
Place feeders carefully
Make sure your feeders are spread out around the garden to help prevent birds from congregating in one small area, and that feeders are placed high enough off the ground to be safe from ground predators, and preferably a few meters away from some dense cover such as shrubbery, so birds have a safe place to hide from aerial predators.
keep them clean
Regular cleaning is necessary. All feeders should be cleaned and scrubbed (with a 5% bleach solution) at least once a week, and if you also provide water for the birds, it will need to be replaced with fresh water daily.
Register Now open Large garden bird watching platformwill be held from January 23rd to 25th.