Wildlife

Wild Fieldfare Winter Welfare UK

Fieldfares are large winter thrushes visiting the UK from Scandinavia and dependent on berry food sources for winter survival.

Key Facts

Fieldfares arrive in October from Scandinavia in large flocks
They feed primarily on berries including hawthorn, apple and holly in winter
Hard frosts and berry depletion force birds to move on in search of food
Garden windfall apples are an important food source in cold periods
Fieldfare populations in Scandinavia depend on habitats that warm climate may change

Welfare Considerations

Fieldfare winter welfare is directly linked to berry food availability. Cold winters that deplete berry crops rapidly create food stress causing welfare harm. Leaving windfall fruit in gardens and maintaining berry-producing hedgerow species provides welfare support for individual birds during winter hardship.

What You Can Do

Leave windfall apples on the ground for fieldfares and redwings in winter
Plant berry-producing shrubs including hawthorn, holly and pyracantha
Record fieldfare sightings for BTO winter atlas monitoring