Advice

What food to provide

Household scraps

Starling perched on wall
Starlings love scraps!

Feeding garden birds doesn't need to be expensive - many of the things you throw away provide suitable food for birds.

Bacon and other fats

Fat from cuts of meat (as long as it comes from only unsalted varieties) can be put out in large pieces, from which birds such as tits can remove morsels. Make sure that these are well anchored to prevent large birds flying away with the whole piece. This kind of food can attract larger birds such as magpies and gulls, and also neighbourhood cats. If this is likely to be a problem, it is best avoided.

There is a lot of debate about the suitability of bacon rind, since much of it is salted during the curing process. As long as you can be sure the bacon is not salty it can be put on the bird table. Since bacon can be too tough for many birds to tackle, chopping it finely will allow a wider variety of birds to benefit.

Bread

All types of bread are acceptable to birds, but ideally only if it is just one component in a varied diet. Bread does not contain the necessary protein and fat birds need from their diet, and so it can act as an empty filler. A bird that is on a diet of predominantly or only bread can suffer from serious vitamin deficiencies or starve.

Only put out an amount that birds will eat in a day. Bread left on the ground overnight can attract rats. Soaked bread is more easily ingested than stale dry bread, and brown bread is better than white. During the breeding season, crumble the bread into tiny pieces so that it is only eaten by the adult birds, and never put out an amount that will last more than one hour. Dry chunks of bread will choke baby birds, and a chick on a diet of bread may not develop into a healthy fledgling.

Crumbled bread is suitable in small quantities, but moisten if very dry. Brown is better than white. Although bread is not harmful, it should not be offered in large quantities, since its nutritional value is relatively low.

Fat

Fat, including suet, is particularly welcomed by tits, great spotted woodpeckers, thrushes and wrens. However, do not put out polyunsaturated fats, since they do not give the birds the high levels of energy they require in winter.

Cheese

Mild grated cheese is a favourite with robins, dunnocks, blackbirds and song thrushes. It will also help wrens if placed under hedgerows and other areas in your garden where you have noticed them feeding.

Potatoes

Baked potatoes (cold and opened up), roast and even mashed potatoes with added real fats are all suitable. Chips are rarely eaten by birds.

Fruit

Dried fruits, such as raisins, sultanas and currants are particularly enjoyed by blackbirds, song thrushes and robins. Soak them during spring and summer.

Apples, pears and other fruit, including bruised and part rotten ones, cut up, are very popular with all thrushes, tits and starlings.

Pastry

Pastry, cooked or uncooked is excellent especially if it has been made with real fats.

Salt

Garden birds are practically unable to metabolise salt, which in high quantity is toxic, affecting the nervous system. Under normal circumstances in the wild, birds are unlikely to take harmful amounts of salt. Never put out salted food onto the bird table, and never add salt to bird baths to keep water ice-free in the winter.

Last modified: 21 August 2006

What to feed garden birds

15 October 2008. Length: 65

Our wildlife adviser Ian Hayward passes on some tips on what to feed birds, and suggests some other ways to attract wildlife to your garden.

Video requires Adobe Flash Player 8 or higher. Download it for free.