Gardeners urged to avoid 2 common bird foods during nesting season
With nesting season beginning earlier each year, gardeners are being encouraged to take action now to support birdsas they prepare to breed. Late winter and early spring place heavy demands on wildlife, when energy needs rise while natural food remains limited.
Richard Green, a bird-feeding specialist at Kennedy Wild Bird Food & Pet Supplies, has shared simple steps homeowners can take to help birdsin the months ahead. He said: "Foods given during nesting season need to support adult energy levels while also being safe for chicks, as large seeds and nuts can be dangerous if brought back to the nest. Sunflower hearts, mealworms, fruit such as raisins, and mixed seed without peanuts provide energy and protein that adult birdscan quickly collect and pass on safely." Green did say that there are two foods Brits should avoid leaving in their gardens: "Peanuts can cause choking in chicks, and fatty foods like fat balls can spoil quickly in warmer weather, so it's best to avoid them during this time."
Green said that although nesting does not follow a fixed calendar, most birds in the UK breed between March and August, with spring and summer providing the conditions needed to raise young, which is why this period needs extra care.
During nesting season, birds are more exposed than at any other time of year, and even minor disturbance can cause adults to abandon a nest, leaving eggs or chicks without warmth, food or protection."
There are hundreds of different species of wild birds that breed regularly in the UK. Some bird populations - such as house sparrows and starlings in urban areas - are declining, partly due to the loss of nest sites.
You can also help nesting birds by:
Providing nest sites on buildings, such as 'swift bricks' built into walls that swifts can use to make their nests.
Providing nest sites and boxes in gardens, and planting trees or bushes so birds can use their leaves or twigs as nesting material.
Not cutting down trees and bushes in the spring and summer, but waiting until autumn and winter, once the breeding season has finished.