Help and Advice

Do we need to feed the birds?

Feeding birds has changed from the times when birds were only fed to trap for food. Now we have Nature Reserves providing shelter and food. We are now encouraged to feed the birds all year round and not just in the breeding season. In the past when birds were enticed into traps with food offerings, food was scarce for people, so birds were 'fair game'. Fortunatley, those days are in the past, as are the times when wild birds would be trapped and kept in cages in the home. Now we have an abundant supply of food. We can use feeding the birds as a delight, wheather we observe them out in the country, in a hide or from our home; millions of people enjoy bird watching.

The realistic side of feeding birds offers many challenges, happiness and regrettably a little tragedy. The RSPB (Royal Society for the Protedtion of Birds) and the BTO ( British Trust for Ornithology) both endorse feeding wild birds all through the year.
Click on the links below to read our advice on each subject.