Is it okay to feed wild birds?

Friday, 20th April 2018

Going to a pond and throwing pieces of bread to the ducks and geese is very enjoyable for many people and children, but it is not such a good idea for the birds themselves. Too much bread is bad for garden birds as it contains too much salt and little to no protein and therefore has poor nutritional value.

By putting out bread you are discouraging birds looking for healthier food and can lead to malnutrition and stunted growth.

For people that love feeding the birds but want to do it responsibly, you can try more nutritional kitchen scraps, like breakfast cereal, porridge oats, crumbled biscuits and grated cheese.

However, the best thing to feed your garden birds is of course high-quality, SuperClean bird food, mealworms and suet – sunflower hearts fit the bill perfectly!

Haith's premium quality Sunflower Hearts are selected from European seeds. Feed them from tube-type seed feeders, bird tables, ground feeders, or sprinkle them on the ground where they’ll be taken by thrushes, Chaffinches and Dunnocks. Haith’s are SuperClean and super fresh as that’s what’s best for garden birds and wildlife.

Suet is without doubt a year-round food and not just to supplement winter feeding; feed suet throughout the entire year and particularly during key periods, such as: the breeding season, during moulting and prior to migration. Our Mealworm bird cakes are ready to go - just unwrap them and hang them where the birds can see them! They’re packed with high-calorie fat and high-fat dried mealworms.

So yes it’s certainly OK to feed wild birds throughout the year, in fact we and others (including RSPB, the Wildlife Trusts, BTO) recommend it.

Whether you are feeding kitchen scraps, or seed from a reputable supplier we advise to keep up the consistency as your birds will come to rely on it.

For hints, tips and advice contact one of our advisors and they will be happy to help, or alternatively visit our website at www.haiths.com