3 weeks ago
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It’s a beautiful sight at any time of year, you throw open your curtains, gaze into your garden and see a throng of birds flocking to your outdoor space, feeding, drinking and chirping away.
Unfortunately it’s becoming more and more of a rarity these days as bird numbers are threatened by population problems, food shortages, rising temperatures and loss of habitat.
Gardeners up and down the UK have anecdotally reported seeing fewer of our feathered friends in gardens this year, and this is backed by the Natural History Museum, which reports that ‘almost half of all UK bird species’ are in decline in the past five years.
That’s why gardeners are being urged to step in and do something to help feed the birds in their green spaces especially over the colder autumn months heading into winter as food sources become ever more scarce.
The RSPB is encouraging people to get out and leave food for the birds to eat, including peanuts and seeds with chilli powder on, but also sliced fruits.
Bruised apples and bears make excellent food for birds in the summer, the charity has said.
And if you're lucky enough to have cooking apple or Bramley apple trees in your garden, you should leave some out for the birds rather than pick them all.
The RSPB told gardeners: “When buying bird food, try to get a good mix of seed, peanuts, suet and mealworms.
“Fruit, especially bruised apples and pears, will be popular with thrushes and Blackbirds. Household scraps like pastry, cooked rice and breadcrumbs should only be offered in small amounts occasionally.”
Gardeners are being encouraged to use bird tables where possible, and leave food out for birds on them.
You should also endeavour to keep the bird table clean, and ‘brush off debris’ every time you put fresh food out, so as to avoid spreading disease through rotting food.
The RSPB added: “Bird table and feeder hygiene is very important. Brush off debris every time you put out fresh food and scrub the table with a mild disinfectant solution weekly. Move the table from time to time to stop droppings building up underneath. Water containers should be rinsed out daily, especially during the warmer months, and allowed to dry out before fresh water is added.”
But just how bad is the crisis for birds?
The Natural History Museum said: “Between 2015 and 2020 almost half of all bird species declined, with woodland bird species being the most affected.
“New data released by the UK government reveals that 48% of bird species have shown a decrease in just five years between 2015 and 2020. Birds such as the turtle dove, capercaillie, tree sparrow and grey partridge are now less than a tenth of their numbers from 50 years ago.”
In response to the survey results, Beccy Speight, RSPB's chief executive, said: “The numbers speak for themselves when it comes to the startling declines of some of our once common birds.
“They no longer have the abundance across the UK that they used to have. We are in a nature and climate emergency and we've lost 38 million birds from our skies in the last 50 years.”
English (US) ·