The best way to feed garden birds
Feeding the birds that visit our garden has become increasingly popular in recent years. The British Trust for Ornithology estimate that around half of UK householders feed birds in their garden, spending as a nation, an estimated £200-300 million on bird-feeding products each year.
Which? Gardening recently asked over six thousand people how they like to feed their garden birds. They told us that seed feeders were by far their preferred method.
Seed feeders
There are many types of seed feeders to choose from, some which are designed for specific feeds, such as nyger seeds or peanuts. Look for a squirrel-proof feeder (which will also keep rats and larger birds off the food) that is easy to clean. It's very important to clean bird feeders regularly or you may inadvertently be spreading disease in the birds that come to feed.
Find a Best Buy squirrel proof bird feeder
Pros Can attract specific birds, high-value seeds attract many birds
Cons Feeders need to be squirrel-proof and cleaned regularly
Suet cakes and fat ball feeders
Good quality suet cakes and fat balls offer high energy food that's ideal for small birds, such as blue tits and long tailed tits, but will also attract other garden birds. Look for a feeder that squirrels can’t break into but remember that caged feeders might deter larger birds and can potentially trap young squirrels.
Try our Best fat balls for feeding birds
Pros Huge range to choose from, less messy than seed, great for smaller birds
Cons Not all brands get eaten, can attract vermin or get stolen wholesale
Bird table
It may seem an old-fashioned way of feeding the birds but 17% of respondents to the survey said they still used a bird table. These are easy to clean and allow you to use any type of feeds you like, including kitchen scraps. However they can be difficult to protect against vermin and larger birds such as pigeons.
Pros Easy to add all sorts of feeds, attracts a large range of bird species
Cons Tricky to clean, need to be protected from vermin and cats
Put up a Best Buy nest box
Throwing feed on the ground
Quick and simple, throwing bird food on the ground is the easiest way to feed the birds but isn’t problem free. Kitchen scraps and bird seed can attract both rats and pigeons to your garden. It’s not the best for supporting birds, such as blue tits and long-tailed tits, which would much prefer to feed off the ground, away from predators.
Pros Great for ground-feeding birds, no feeders to clean, can use household left-overs
Cons May attract rats and larger birds such as pigeons and jackdaws, seeds may sprout introducing weeds
