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Wildbirds

Feeding Your Garden Birds

Birds appreciate being fed throughout the year, but winter is their most difficult time, when they find it hard to find their natural food, such as insects, worms, berries and seeds.

When To Feed Garden Birds

Although winter feeding benefits birds most, food shortages can occur at any time of the year. By feeding all year round, you’ll give them a better chance to survive food shortages whenever they may occur.

Autumn & Winter

At this time of year, put out food and water on a regular basis. In severe weather, feed twice daily if you can: in the morning and in the early afternoon.

Birds require high-energy (high-fat) foods during the cold winter weather to maintain their fat reserves to survive the frosty nights. Use only good-quality food!

Always adjust the quantity given to the demand, and never allow uneaten foods to accumulate around the feeders. Once you establish a feeding routine, try not to change it as the birds will become used to it and time their visits to your garden accordingly.

Finding Food In The Winter
Winter is a difficult time of year for birds, the days are short and the nights are cold, so they must eat a lot of food in a short amount of time to have the energy to survive until the morning.

In addition, food is harder to come by in winter. Insects are hibernating, grubs are buried deep in the ground and snow and ice make it harder to find food.

Each bird has developed its own ways to make sure it finds enough to eat in the cold months.

Robins mainly feed on small invertebrates, which they find in the soil. They will hunt through the leaf litter and under bushes, where the ground is sheltered from frosts. Robins have proportionally very large eyes, which allows them to see well in these dark places.

It gives them another advantage, too – they can see in the half-light of dawn and dusk, so can start to hunt earlier and feed until later than other birds. In towns, robins will feed after dark in the artificial light.

Goldcrests, the UK’s smallest birds, need to feed constantly throughout the day to build up their energy stores for the night. They have learnt a sure-fire way of making sure they never have to look too far to find food.

They feed on tiny insects and spiders that live on pine trees and spend most of their time in coniferous woodlands where they can easily flit from tree to tree, finding their ready-made lunches on the way.

What do birds eat at Christmas? 
No, it’s not the first line of a cheesy joke! As you sit down to your meal, plate piled high with Christmas-time goodies, have a thought for the wild birds around you. What will they be eating for their Christmas dinner?

The best thing you can do for the birds at Christmas is keep feeding! Suet or Fat balls along with a high quality seed (normal or a winter mix) and insects will really help them keep energy up. All the neighbourhood birds will be coming to your garden this Christmas if you put out a feast like that!

Picky eaters
Whilst goldcrests survive by having one main source of food, other birds will eat a huge range of foods, increasing their likelihood of finding enough to eat every day. Blackbirds will eat worms, spiders, fruit and seeds. Herring gulls aren’t fussy either and will even pick through our dustbins to find a bite to eat.

The master of restraint and forward planning is the mistle thrush. This is the UK’s largest thrush and in early autumn birds gather in large flocks to feed together. But as soon as holly berries appear, they will split off on their own or into pairs and get defensive. Each bird or pair will find itself a holly tree or bush teeming with berries and will set up a territory.

The berries on that tree won’t be eaten, but will be guarded with such care that no other birds can take them either. Mistle thrushes are so good at protecting their trees, just in case, that by spring many will still have their full crop of berries untouched, long after any unprotected holly has had its fruit stripped.

So, if you see a holly tree that’s still full of berries at Christmas, you’ll probably find there’s a mistle thrush nearby keeping out a watchful eye for thieves.

Spring & Summer

During the summer months, birds require high protein foods, especially while they are moulting.

Only feed selected foods at this time of year. Good hygiene is vital, or feeding may do more harm than good.

These food include:
Black sunflower seeds, pinhead oatmeal, sultanas, raisins and currants, mealworms, waxworms, mixes for insectivorous birds, good seed mixtures without loose peanuts, fat/suet balls and summer seed mixture are all good foods to provide.

If you would like to add fruit to your bird table why not try soft apples and pears cut in half, bananas and grapes are also good.

Avoid using peanuts at this time, since these can be harmful if adult birds feed them to their nestlings. If you feel you must put out peanuts, only do so in suitable mesh feeders that will not allow sizeable pieces of peanuts to be taken, reducing the choking risk to chicks.

Home-made fat balls can go soft and rancid in warm summer weather, and should be avoided. Commercially produced fat balls and blocks are suitable for summer feeding but discard any remains after around three weeks.

Temporary food shortage can occur at almost any time of the year, and if this happens during the breeding season, extra food on your bird table can make a big difference to the survival of young.

Birds time their breeding period to exploit the availability of natural foods: earthworms in the case of blackbirds and song thrushes, and caterpillars in the case of tits and chaffinches. It is now known that if the weather turns cold or wet during spring or summer, severe shortage of insect food can occur, and if the weather is exceptionally dry, earthworms will be unavailable to ground feeding birds because of the hard soil. In order to help with this, buggy nibbles and mealworms can be provided during these times to prevent starvation.

Natural Food Shortages

If food shortages occur when birds have young in the nest they may be tempted by easy food put on bird tables to make up the shortfall in natural food, initially to feed themselves, but if the situation gets bad enough, they will also take the food to the nest.

If the food offered on your bird table isn’t suitable for the young chicks, it can do more harm than good, and can even be lethal to the chicks as they can choke on the food. It can be difficult for a human to gauge when food shortage in the wild occurs, and hence it is best not to put out food that is likely to create problems during the breeding season.

Therefore, never put out loose peanuts, dry hard foods, large chunks of bread, or fats during the spring or summer months.

What do birds eat?

Everyday we get asked this big question…
“what can I feed my garden birds?”
Here is a guide explaining each straight and mix to help you pick what’s best for your garden!

Bird Seed Mixtures

There are different mixes for feeders, for bird tables and for ground feeding. The better mixtures contain plenty of flaked maize, sunflower seeds and peanut granules.

Small seeds, such as millet, attract mostly house sparrows, dunnocks, finches, reed buntings and collared doves, while flaked maize is taken readily by blackbirds. Tits and greenfinches favour peanuts and sunflower seeds. Mixes that contain chunks or whole nuts are suitable for winter feeding only. Pinhead oatmeal is excellent for many birds. Wheat and barley grains are often included in seed mixtures, but they’re really only suitable for pigeons, doves and pheasants, which feed on the ground and rapidly increase in numbers, frequently deterring the smaller species.

Popular Wild Bird Mixtures

Other Seeds & Nuts

Black sunflower hearts
These are an excellent year-round food, and in many areas are even more popular than peanuts. The oil content is higher in black than striped ones, and so they are much better.

Sunflower hearts
High in oil for energy with no husks, no mess. These seeds will attract many birds including Finches, woodpecker and members of the Tit family.

Niger seeds
These are small and black, rich in fat and with a high oil content. They do need a special type of seed feeder however. They’re a particular favourites with goldfinches and siskins and are popular with tits, greenfinches, house sparrows, nuthatches and great spotted woodpeckers too.

Whole & Loose Peanuts
Crushed or grated nuts attract robins, dunnocks and even wrens. Nuthatches and coal tits may hoard peanuts.

Warning: Don’t use salted or dry roasted peanuts. Remember, peanuts can be high in a natural toxin, which can kill birds, so always buy peanuts that are clearly marked “for garden birds”. Shopping with us in store or online will guarantee freedom from aflatoxins.

Never put out loose peanuts during spring or summer as these pose a choking hazard if they are fed to chicks. If you do want to feed peanuts, place whole peanuts in a suitable mesh feeder so no large chunks can be fed to chicks.

Popular Wild Bird Seeds & Nuts

Fats & Suets

Fat balls and other fat-based food bars are excellent winter food. If they are sold in nylon mesh bags, always remove the bag before putting the fat ball out – the soft mesh can trap and injure birds.

It’s widely recognised that fat balls are a beneficial feed for winter, yet the value of providing them for summer feeding is often not recognised.  It’s advantageous to ensure that suet/fat balls are provided all year round, as they keep birds and fledglings fully energised.  This is because the contents provide an important source of stamina and strength to help our beloved birds stay healthy.

Certain birds such as Blue tits and Long-tailed tits (amongst others) spend up to 85% of their daytime feeding just to survive, meaning high quality fat products are essential for the bird population to thrive. Suet/fat balls are also a firm favourite for Great tits, other Tits, Sparrows, Blackbirds, Woodpeckers and Blackcaps.

All of these foods can be fed from a table, from the ground, or using a fat & suet bird feeder.

Warning: Home-made fat balls can go soft and rancid in warm summer weather, and should be avoided.

Popular Wild Bird Fats & Suets

Live Foods & Other Insect Foods

Mealworms are relished by robins and blue tits, and may attract other insect-eating birds such as pied wagtails.

Mealworms are a natural food and you can feed them to birds throughout the year as with most foods. If you’re using dried mealworms, you can soak them in warm water for 20-60 minutes before putting out to provide valuable moisture content and make it easier for younger birds to digest. They also make them look much fatter and will attract birds looking for the juicier  bugs.

Waxworms and Mario Worms are also excellent insect foods!

Popular Wild Bird Insect Foods

Birds and Water

Many people put food out for birds, but fewer provide a regular supply of clean water.

Water For Bathing

Water to bathe in is just as important for birds, especially in winter. It is essential that they keep their feathers in good condition. Bathing is an important part of feather maintenance. Dampening the feathers loosens the dirt and makes their feathers easier to preen.

When preening, birds carefully rearrange the feathers and spread oil from the preen gland so they remain waterproof and trap an insulating layer of air underneath to keep them warm.

How to keep the water clean
Keeping a bird bath clean helps to prevent birds catching diseases.

You should clean your birdbath regularly and change the water. A layer of algae, dead leaves or bird droppings will soon build up, so give the bath a thorough clean every week or so. Scrub the sides and bottom to remove algae and other dirt.

You can use dilute household disinfectants, but make sure that you rinse the bath out thoroughly to remove any traces of chemicals.

There are two non-toxic products on the market, Enviroclens and Ark-Klens, which can be used to clean bird baths.

How to keep the water ice-free?
Birds need to drink regularly, whether the weather’s hot or cold. They’ll even bathe in the depths of winter. In freezing conditions, bird baths and garden ponds become even more important, since many natural sources of water are frozen over.

It can be difficult to stop a bird bath from freezing, but try these simple methods:
• A light ball floating in the water will be moved by even a gentle breeze, and will keep a small amount of water ice-free.
• Pour on warm (not hot) water to melt the ice
• Avoid chemicals. Never add any chemicals (such as anti-freeze) to the water. It could stop the birds’ feathers from being waterproof, or poison the birds themselves.

Where to put your bird bath
The location of your garden and the type of vegetation immediately around it will determine what birds will visit your bird bath, and in what numbers. Siting of the bath is very important – birds will only use it if they feel safe. Birds get excited and pre-occupied about bathing, and tend to be more vulnerable than at other times.

Make sure birds have clear visibility as they bathe, with bushes or trees nearby to provide cover if alarmed, and perches to use when preening. Ensure cats cannot use the cover to attack bathing birds. You can do this by placing a thick layer of clippings from thorny vegetation, such as rose beneath the bushes. Try placing the bath at different points around the garden to find the most popular site.

During droughts birds will try to use water barrels or drinking troughs. Sadly, many drown. If these containers cannot be covered, they can be made safer if a plank of wood or a branch is placed in the water so that birds can land, drink and even partially bathe in safety.

How To Make A Bird Bath

A bird bath is essentially a dish of water – the aesthetic aspects are there to please us, not the birds!

A good bird bath has a simple, sturdy construction, but is light enough to make it easy to clean and refill. It needs to have shallow sloping sides with a shallow approach to water. To allow different species to bathe, provide a sloping bath, so the water is between 2.5cm and 10cm (1-4 inches) deep.

Water For Bathing

Make sure the surface of the bath is rough so birds can grip it with their claws, and not slip.

The bathing of a flock of starlings can use up a lot of water, so make sure your bird bath is big enough! The simplest bird bath is a plant saucer with textured finish and a stone in the middle. You could set several of these around your garden. You could also use a dustbin lid sunk into the ground, or supported on stones or posts. If the lid is shiny or slippery, a thin layer of gravel on the bottom (this makes it more difficult to clean though) and a shallow stone in the middle will help birds get to the water in comfort. Concrete baths can be made by digging a hole of the desired size and shape, and lining this with concrete. Once the concrete has set, the bath can be removed, trimmed, and placed in the final location.

If you’d prefer to buy a bird bath, we stock a lovely range in store.

Nestboxes

Find out how to provide nestboxes for birds in your garden.

Nestboxes For Small Birds

You can encourage birds into your garden by providing plenty of places to nest. A nestbox is an excellent substitute for a tree hole. The species you attract will depend on the location, the type of box, and the size of the entrance hole.

Placing A Nestbox

Before you put up your nestbox, remember to keep in mind the following:

• Fixing your nestbox with nails may damage the tree. It is better to attach it either with a nylon bolt or with wire around the trunk or branch. Remember that trees grow in girth as well as height, and check the fixing every two or three years.

• Open-fronted boxes for robins and wrens need to be low down, below 2m, well hidden in vegetation. Those for spotted flycatchers need to be 2-4m high, sheltered by vegetation but with a clear outlook. Woodpecker boxes need to be 3-5m high on a tree trunk with a clear flight path and away from disturbance.

Nestboxes are best put up during the autumn. Many birds will enter nestboxes during the autumn and winter, looking for a suitable place to roost or perhaps to feed. They often use the same boxes for nesting the following spring. Tits will not seriously investigate nesting sites until February or March.

Cleaning & Maintaining Your Nestbox

The nests of most birds harbour fleas and other parasites, which can remain and infest young birds that hatch the following year.

We recommend that old nests be removed in the autumn, from September onwards once the birds have stopped using the box.

Use boiling water to kill any remaining parasites, and let the box dry out thoroughly before replacing the lid. Insecticides and flea powders must not be used.

Unhatched eggs in the box can only be removed legally between September and January (August-January if you’re in Scotland) – and must then be disposed of. Take care to ensure the nest is no longer active as some species can nest right through September.

If you place a small handful of clean hay or wood shavings (not straw) in the box once it is thoroughly dry after cleaning, small mammals may hibernate there, or birds may use it as a roost site.

It is quite normal for a few eggs to fail to hatch, or for some young to die. Blue and great tits lay up to 14 eggs to allow for such losses. Cold weather and food shortage may lead to nest desertion, or to only the strongest young surviving. The death of one parent or interference from animals or humans may also cause desertion.

Nestboxes are best put up during the autumn. Many birds will enter nestboxes during the autumn and winter, looking for a suitable place to roost or perhaps to feed. They often use the same boxes for nesting the following spring. Tits will not seriously investigate nesting sites until February or March.

Bird Behaviour At Nestbox

Putting a nestbox up may enable you to watch some fascinating bird behaviour up close. Here are a few things to look out for.

Curious behaviour at boxes

Curious behaviour at boxes
Tits are regularly seen hammering away at the entrance hole of a nestbox. This is probably a form of display by the male, rather than an attempt to enlarge the hole.

Later, the female will also peck vigorously: natural holes may have all the surrounding bark chipped away. This may help her to judge how soft the wood is and whether the hole will provide a safe, predator-proof home in which to raise her brood. Blue and great tits will also hammer at the inside of a box or nest hole, perhaps as a form of display.

Nuthatches leave tell-tale signs of their residence in a nestbox. They peck at the entrance hole, deliberately enlarging it. They then plaster the edges of the hole with mud, making sure the hole a perfect fit for their bodies.

Pied flycatchers are fast nest builders. They have been known to take over a nestbox in use by another bird, and build their own nest and lay eggs on top of a fresh clutch – or even live chicks – within days.

Many birds roost in nestboxes, especially during a cold winter night. These roosts are frequently communal with the birds packing together for extra warmth. The record number of birds found in one box is 61 wrens!

Conflicts at nestboxes
Birds aren’t the only things that like to enter nestboxes. Predators and insects may also take up residence.

Birds such as sparrows and starlings often take over nesting holes used by tits. Most tits are able to defend a box successfully, provided that the intruder cannot get inside. A hole size of 25mm will exclude larger species. Do not fix a perch on the front of any box, as this will encourage intruders. Birds don’t need a perch in order to use the box.

By putting up nestboxes with different sized holes, you’ll cater for a variety of species. Please remember that sparrows and starlings are in serious decline and may need help even more than the tits. Do not place sparrow boxes too close to ones intended for other birds, especially house martin colonies.

Predators
Nestbox predators include cats, squirrels, rats, mice, stoats, weasels, woodpeckers and, in case of open fronted boxes, members of the crow family. As predators mainly hunt early in the morning, most people are unaware of their presence.

A metal plate fixed around the entrance hole may deter woodpeckers and squirrels, while spiky vegetation, such as gorse or rose clippings above and below the box will give some protection against most mammals, such as cats.

Insects and nestboxes
Bees, wasps or earwigs will, on occasions, take over nestboxes. As chemical control is often harmful to the environment, we do not recommend using chemical insect sprays to prevent this.

Instead, as many of the insects are useful food for birds, it is best to leave them alone. Insects often move in after birds have finished nesting. Any young found dead are likely to have died of other natural causes.

It is not unusual for the same type of insect to return to the box in subsequent years. Leave that box and put up another one a few feet away. It is rare for both to be lost to insect invasion.

Roofs for wildlife
House sparrows, starlings, house martins and swifts depend on buildings for nest sites.
Some species are almost completely dependent on them. Opportunities for birds to share your house are greatest in older properties. Modern building techniques and renovation materials can prevent their access, unless you provide specific opportunities. Roofs are also important habitats for roosting bats.

Our top five tips
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Roofs for wildlife

House sparrows, starlings, house martins and swifts depend on buildings for nest sites. Some species are almost completely dependent on them.

Opportunities for birds to share your house are greatest in older properties. Modern building techniques and renovation materials can prevent their access, unless you provide specific opportunities. Roofs are also important habitats for roosting bats.

Our top five tips

There are five steps for safeguarding existing nest sites or creating new ones in your roof:

  1. Where possible, leave existing nest holes alone and work around them when carrying out repairs and renovations.
  2. If this isn’t possible, fit an internal nest box behind the replacement material. Position the box and make a hole in the new material at exactly the same location as the original nest site.
  3. Utilise the existing roof or fascia and soffit design to create new nest sites. Make appropriately sized holes in suitable locations.
  4. In new builds or extensions, fit a pre-fabricated swift brick into the fabric of the wall during construction or put internal nest boxes behind the fascias and soffits.
  5. If none of the above are possible, use externally fitted nest boxes.

Why eaves can make good habitats

The eaves of a house may sound an unlikely place to look for wildlife, but you may find many species living there. In the eaves, the house roof projects beyond the wall it supports creating a sheltered, often warm place.

Insects and other invertebrates may hide or even hibernate up here. House martins build their mud homes in eaves, and you can encourage them by putting up artificial nests. Starlings and house sparrows may also take up residence in nestboxes in the eaves.

Bat boxes can also be hung up here and may be used as summer roosts.

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There are five steps for safeguarding existing nest sites or creating new ones in your roof:

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Roofs for wildlife

House sparrows, starlings, house martins and swifts depend on buildings for nest sites. Some species are almost completely dependent on them.

Opportunities for birds to share your house are greatest in older properties. Modern building techniques and renovation materials can prevent their access, unless you provide specific opportunities. Roofs are also important habitats for roosting bats.

Our top five tips

There are five steps for safeguarding existing nest sites or creating new ones in your roof:

  1. Where possible, leave existing nest holes alone and work around them when carrying out repairs and renovations.
  2. If this isn’t possible, fit an internal nest box behind the replacement material. Position the box and make a hole in the new material at exactly the same location as the original nest site.
  3. Utilise the existing roof or fascia and soffit design to create new nest sites. Make appropriately sized holes in suitable locations.
  4. In new builds or extensions, fit a pre-fabricated swift brick into the fabric of the wall during construction or put internal nest boxes behind the fascias and soffits.
  5. If none of the above are possible, use externally fitted nest boxes.

Why eaves can make good habitats

The eaves of a house may sound an unlikely place to look for wildlife, but you may find many species living there. In the eaves, the house roof projects beyond the wall it supports creating a sheltered, often warm place.

Insects and other invertebrates may hide or even hibernate up here. House martins build their mud homes in eaves, and you can encourage them by putting up artificial nests. Starlings and house sparrows may also take up residence in nestboxes in the eaves.

Bat boxes can also be hung up here and may be used as summer roosts.

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  1. Where possible, leave existing nest holes alone and work around them when carrying out repairs and renovations.
  2. If this isn’t possible, fit an internal nest box behind the replacement material. Position the box and make a hole in the new material at exactly the same location as the original nest site.
  3. Utilise the existing roof or fascia and soffit design to create new nest sites. Make appropriately sized holes in suitable locations.
  4. In new builds or extensions, fit a pre-fabricated swift brick into the fabric of the wall during construction or put internal nest boxes behind the fascias and soffits.
  5. If none of the above are possible, use externally fitted nest boxes.

Why eaves can make good habitats
The eaves of a house may sound an unlikely place to look for wildlife, but you may find many species living there. In the eaves, the house roof projects beyond the wall it supports creating a sheltered, often warm place.

Insects and other invertebrates may hide or even hibernate up here. House martins build their mud homes in eaves, and you can encourage them by putting up artificial nests. Starlings and house sparrows may also take up residence in nestboxes in the eaves.

Bat boxes can also be hung up here and may be used as summer roosts.

Dangers to Birds

Birds can come across many different hazards. These are some of the more common ones you are likely to come across, and what to do to help.

Our Gardens

Our gardens can be one of the most dangerous places for garden birds if we don’t maintain them properly. It’s great to put out seeds and water, but badly maintained can cause more harm than good.

Bird boxes left after nesting seasons can harbour diseases, salt in home-made bird food can be very harmful and trimming hedges at the wrong time can injure or kill birds.

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Our gardens can be one of the most dangerous places for garden birds if we don’t maintain them properly. It’s great to put out seeds and water, but badly maintained can cause more harm than good.

Bird boxes left after nesting seasons can harbour diseases, salt in home-made bird food can be very harmful and trimming hedges at the wrong time can injure or kill birds.

  • Birdbaths & feeders should be cleaned every month or so.
  • Trimming hedges should be done in late summer, by which point most garden birds will have finished raising their brood. Before cutting, it’s worth checking to be sure no birds are nesting within.
  • Once birds have vacated bird boxes in autumn, it’s important to clear out the old nest and clean the bird box, as they can harbour mites, ticks and other parasites.
  • When feeding birds, it’s important to avoid putting out anything that contains salt.
  • Chemical pesticides can work their way into the food chain. Insects and Bugs that are considered pests like slugs and caterpillars are an important part of a wild birds main diet. Eating insects and bugs that have been exposed to pesticides can have potentially detrimental effects on birds.
  • Cats, lovable companions for millions but undoubtedly hunt garden birds and other wildlife. If you’re a cat owner, one of the best things you can do is to attach a bell to your cat’s collar, which has been shown to reduce the incidence of birds being caught. Place bird tables and feeders within a few metres of some dense planting, giving birds a close source of refuge, and site bird boxes well out of a cat’s reach.
">Cats, lovable companions for millions but undoubtedly hunt garden birds and other wildlife. If you’re a cat owner, one of the best things you can do is to attach a bell to your cat’s collar, which has been shown to reduce the incidence of birds being caught. Place bird tables and feeders within a few metres of some dense planting, giving birds a close source of refuge, and site bird boxes well out of a cat’s reach.
  • Birdbaths & feeders should be cleaned every month or so.
  • Trimming hedges should be done in late summer, by which point most garden birds will have finished raising their brood. Before cutting, it’s worth checking to be sure no birds are nesting within.
  • Once birds have vacated bird boxes in autumn, it’s important to clear out the old nest and clean the bird box, as they can harbour mites, ticks and other parasites.
  • When feeding birds, it’s important to avoid putting out anything that contains salt.
  • Chemical pesticides can work their way into the food chain. Insects and Bugs that are considered pests like slugs and caterpillars are an important part of a wild birds main diet. Eating insects and bugs that have been exposed to pesticides can have potentially detrimental effects on birds.

Oiled Birds

Oil pollution incidents can happen on any scale, ranging from small domestic spillages to major disasters involving a shipwrecked tanker.

What to do if you find an oiled bird
When large numbers of birds, dead or alive, are coming ashore, the Coastguard (for coastal incidents), the Environment Agency (for incidents inland), the RSPB, or RSPCA/SSPCA/USPCA should be informed as soon as possible about the pollution incident so it can be investigated. If you find an oiled bird alive, do not attempt to clean it yourself. It is a very specialist job and you may well do more harm than good. Carefully place the bird in a well-ventilated cardboard box, keep it warm and consult the RSPCA/SSPCA/USPCA immediately to arrange to get the bird to correct treatment as soon as possible. If large numbers of birds are affected, simply telephone RSPCA/SSPCA/USPCA for assistance.

Oil is particularly toxic to the bird if it ingests any of it, which easily happens when it is trying to preen off the oil. Because of this, oiled birds should be taken to an appropriate cleaning station as a matter of urgency.

Many people think oiled birds would only be found by the coast but this is untrue. Wild birds can very easily come into contact with many harmful liquids that may be in our gardens if they are not covered or put away.

Poisoned Birds

Birds can pick up poison accidentally by eating dressed seed or insects from freshly sprayed crops, or they can become victims of intentional poisoning, whether the poison bait was aimed at them or not.

What to do if you find a poisoned bird
Incidents of suspected poisoning should be reported to the Poisons Hotline on: 0800 321600. This is administered by the Government-run Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme. It is illegal to deliberately poison birds. If there is a suspicion that birds or any other wildlife have been specially targeted by the poison, please contact your Police Wildlife Crime Officer to report a crime against the Wildlife and Countryside Act, and report it to the RSPB using a crime reporting form.
Oil is particularly toxic to the bird if it ingests any of it, which easily happens when it is trying to preen off the oil. Because of this, oiled birds should be taken to an appropriate cleaning station as a matter of urgency.

Gulls or waterfowl can be found in the summer and autumn apparently paralysed and unable to lift their heads. This is likely to be due to botulism poisoning, a naturally occurring toxin produced by bacteria. In incidents of large numbers of birds dying of suspected botulism, the RSPB, the local authority or the Environment Agency should be informed of the location and the number of birds involved.

Fireworks

The issue of fireworks and their impact on wild birds is a common cause for concern, especially around Bonfire Night in November.

Do fireworks cause harm to wild birds?
There is little evidence to suggest that fireworks harm wild birds. Available information suggests that the effect of firework displays on birds is little different from that of a thunderstorm. Setting off fireworks close to nesting and roosting birds can cause disturbance. To minimise any impact of fireworks on birds, we urge organisers of firework displays to avoid launching the rockets near to sensitive wildlife areas, such as nature reserves, and nesting and roosting sites for wild birds.

Found Sick or Injured Wildlife?

Visit helpwildlife.co.uk for advice on how to help sick, injured or orphaned wildlife.

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