Wildlife Welfare

Wild Bird Garden Supplementary Feeding Best Practice

Garden bird feeding provides welfare benefits but requires knowledge of best practice to avoid harm from poor food quality, disease transmission, and predation.

Key Facts

Over 50% of UK households provide supplementary food for garden birds
Feeders can transmit disease including trichomoniasis if not cleaned regularly
Certain foods are harmful including dry whole peanuts for chicks and mouldy seed
Supplementary feeding benefits birds most in winter when natural food is scarce
Ground feeding stations support different species than hanging feeders

Welfare Considerations

Well-managed garden feeding genuinely benefits bird welfare and supports declining species. However, poorly maintained feeders can spread disease and attract predators, meaning best practice hygiene, appropriate food, and feeder placement are important welfare considerations.

What You Can Do

Clean bird feeders thoroughly at least once every two weeks
Use fresh, high-quality seed mixes appropriate for the species you want to attract
Position feeders near cover to reduce cat predation while allowing escape from sparrowhawks