Here in Britain, we have always enjoyed a huge variety of wild bird life, due to our extensive woodland areas and a location close to the routes of several migratory species. But climate change, extensive urbanization, and other factors are making it increasingly more difficult for Britain’s wild birds to survive. Since the fight for survival revolves largely around finding enough food, one way we can help our feathered friends is by actively helping them find the nutrition they need through the changing seasons of the year. To this end, many individuals and organisations like to provide wild bird feeds, often in bird boxes or on bird tables, to sustain any wild birds which may find them. If you consistently provide food in the same places in your garden, there’s a good chance many of these birds will become regular visitors. You may even have the chance to observe some of our island’s rarer species at close quarters.
So, what information is available on wild bird feeds? According to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), it is important to put out the right wild bird feeds at the right times of year. In the spring and summer, birds shed their winter plumage and grow new feathers, and produce young. Both these processes require plenty of protein in their diet. In autumn and winter on the other hand, it is energy and body mass which will bolster a small bird’s chances of survival. For this reason, later in the year it is best to provide a diet which is high in fat.
Wild bird feeds suitable for summer may contain sunflower seeds, oatmeal, mealworms and waxworms. Other foods which are good for birds early in the year are diced soft fruit, grated cheese and dried fruits which have been softened by soaking. It is important to remember that at this time of year birds will not only take food for themselves, but for their chicks too. For this reason, any whole foods you provide should be softened or ground into small pieces. Things like lumps of bread and whole peanuts are not usually found in summer wild bird feeds, as they may present a choking hazard to chicks.
In the winter, different considerations come to the fore. Low temperatures and scarcity of food mean small birds must consume and conserve calories at every opportunity, whilst maintaining their fat reserves as insulation against the cold. Wild bird feeds designed for the colder months will have a high fat content. The old bird table favourite of fat balls is often a good place to start.
High quality wild bird feeds, such as those supplied by Watermill Feeds, will be rich in ingredients such as sunflower seeds and nyger seeds, both of which have a high oil content, and low aflatoxin peanuts. Remember, peanuts should be ground up small or grated when mixing your own wild bird feeds! Let’s all take the time to look after our feathered friends.
