Feeding garden birds – the latest

The safety and welfare of birds is always our priority. We know so many of you love feeding your garden birds and some bird species really benefit from us putting out extra food for them, especially in winter.  

However, there is increasing evidence that for other bird species, especially finches, feeding birds can have some negative effects such as the spread of disease.  

One disease we are particularly concerned about is trichomonosis which is caused by a protozoan parasite. The parasite develops in the throat of affected birds and causes problems with swallowing food and water. Finches are particularly vulnerable to this disease which has caused large declines of Greenfinch and Chaffinch populations in the UK.  

We’re working on a new study investigating the transmission of trichomonosis in gardens. The work is funded by Natural England and the RSPB and involves the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and the Institute of Zoology. One way the disease is thought to spread is through contaminated food and water. RSPB scientists have visited gardens where finch trichomonosis has been found, to collect data and samples that will tell us how the disease spreads, and to see whether certain types of bird feeding are riskier than others.  

We’re also carrying out a wider review of the pros and cons of supplementary feeding. Whilst many species benefit from being fed in gardens, particularly during the winter months, there are also risks like the spread of disease.  

Whilst we await the conclusions of these two projects, we’ve suspended sales of all our bird tables and related products, Table Mix and Table Mix Extra, window feeders and feeder guardians with trays. This is because there is evidence to suggest that damp food on flat surfaces can increase the risks of disease transmission.   

The safety of birds is our number one concern, so our best option is to suspend these products until we have a better understanding of how disease spreads. In the meantime, we recommend you make sure you keep your feeders clean. For details on how to do this, see here.  

When we know more, we will update this page, and inform our members in The RSPB Magazine.  

If you have any questions, contact us at wildlife@rspb.org.uk