Feed the Birds? But When and How Often?

I am returning this otherwise good typing paper to you because somebody has printed gibberish all over it and put your name at the top - Steven Clark

Until recently, we were advised by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) to feed birds all year round. This advice was changed recently. The reason? A disease called trichomoniasis first noted (2005) in the UK in finches but also now found in pigeons and doves and, to a lesser extent, other garden birds that are seed feeders.

RSPB now recommends a pause in seed & peanut feeding between May 1st and October 31st. During this period, the disease risk is highest and there should be sufficient seeds available naturally for the bird population. Suet-based pellets and fat balls, along with meal worms (live or dried), can still be offered all year round.

Video 1: RSPB Safe Feeding Advice

In addition to this new feeding advice, it is essential that you regularly clean (i.e. at least once a week) your bird feeders. The traditional bird table (e.g. Photo 1) is now out of favour - as are all flat surface feeders - because the mix of food, droppings and saliva can pass on the disease to other birds. In addition, they are more difficult to keep hygienic.

Photo 1: Traditional Bird Table

Now it may be of little to no surprise that my local bird feed supplier (The Wild Bird Store) has a few issues with this new advice from the RSPB. While they strongly recommend regular cleaning of all bird feeding equipment, they also point out that changes in farming practices, use of pesticides, urban growth  and global warming have changed the landscape in terms of the availability and abundance of natural food sources during the summer. Their recommendations include:

• Use good-quality food and keep it dry
• Only put out what birds can eat in a day
• Use smaller feeders and spread them out
• Offer a variety of food
• Clean feeders regularly and make sure they are fully dry before refilling
• Clean water baths daily and refill with fresh tap water
• Store food properly so it stays fresh and dry
• Never feed mouldy, old food, or human leftovers
• Keep an eye out for signs of disease
• Make sure birds can spot any approaching cats

I also had a message from Finches Friend who supply my garden bird feeders (Photo 2) ...

Photo 2: Finches Friend Feeders for Suet Pellets, Bird Seed and Peanuts

These feeders are specially designed to keep the bird food dry, reduce disease-transfer from affected birds and enable easy cleaning. Finches Friend pointed out that removing seed feeders would lead the birds to find other bird feeders that were less hygienic. The RSPB advice to stop feeding between May 1st and October 31st only works in a practical sense if everybody does it. And, of course, that is just not going to happen.

My takeaway from all these fonts of knowledge is as follows:

• do not use flat surface feeders : e.g. traditional bird tables
• only use hanging bird feeders that keep the stored food separate and dry (e.g. Finches Friend)
• clean all bird feeding equipment at least once a week in hot soapy water and allow it to dry thoroughly
• do not offer peanuts during the close season (May 1st and October 31st)
• buy bird seed/pellets in smaller quantities to maintain freshness and store correctly (dry, cool)
• limit, but do not stop, feeding during summer to encourage foraging by the birds

My Finches Friend bird feeders are ideally suited to this new regime. They are easy to clean and keep the stored food separate and dry. The feeding tray can be shut off to reduce and control food availability with a minimum of inconvenience. I now limit feeding times to twice a day, rather than continuous, which also saves a bit of money!