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Don't stop feeding! The arrival of spring prompts many people to cease putting out food for their garden birds. This happens because most people still think that garden birds only need help during the difficult winter months, something that we now know is not the case – birds can benefit from the provision of supplementary food all year round. The BTO is urging people to provide food throughout the year and has put together a free information sheet giving important advice on what to feed. This can be obtained by writing to GBW FACTSHEET, FREEPOST, Norfolk, IP24 2BR or by calling 01842-750050. ‘Don’t stop feeding!’ is the rallying call from Mike Toms, Garden BirdWatch Organiser for the BTO. Every year 1,000s of people pack their bird feeders away at the end of the winter in the belief that they have helped the birds through the most difficult part of the year. However, many of the birds using our gardens throughout the spring and summer still find it difficult to locate enough food to meet their needs. In such circumstances, the year round provision of suitable foods can help birds to have a successful breeding season. As well as catering for the needs of their growing chicks, adult birds have to find enough food for themselves, something that is especially important for female birds that produce the eggs in the first place. Most birds breeding in gardens feed their chicks on insects and will only use the seeds and peanut granules we provide for themselves. This frees up more of the ‘natural’ food for their chicks. As Mike Toms notes: “It is important that you provide the right kinds of food during the spring and summer. Avoid foods that are high in salt and never put out whole peanuts unless they are behind a wire mesh - in the unlikely event that a chick does receive a peanut, it may choke. It is also important to avoid foods that are dehydrated and which may swell up once ingested”. Results from the BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatch show that many finches return to gardens in spring to top up their reserves immediately prior to the onset of breeding. The lack of seed and other natural foods at this time of year means that food put out at garden feeding stations is especially important. Another benefit of feeding birds throughout the year is that you are likely to increase the range and number of birds visiting your garden, something that should increase the amount of enjoyment you get as a garden birdwatcher. A free information sheet giving important advice on what to feed can be obtained by writing to GBW FACTSHEET, FREEPOST, Norfolk, IP24 2BR or by calling 01842-750050. Notes for editors 1. The BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatch. The BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatch is the only nationwide survey of garden birds to run continually throughout the year, providing important information on how birds use gardens, and how this use changes over time. Currently, some 16,500 people take part in the project. The BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatch is funded by participants’ contributions and supported by CJ WildBird Foods Ltd and is the largest year round survey of garden birds anywhere in the world. 2. Colour photographs. Images showing garden birds are freely available for use in association with this press release. Please contact images AT bto.org to request an electronic version. 3. CJ WildBird Foods. CJ WildBird Foods is Europe’s leading supplier of bird food and bird feeding products. CJ WildBird Foods have been responsible for a number of significant developments within the bird food and feeding industry, including the introduction of black sunflower seeds to the UK as a major new bird food and the development of specialist seed mixes for use in tubular feeders. They have also been supporting research into the changing fortunes of garden bird populations, most notably through the BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatch. 4. Mike Toms. Mike Toms has worked for the BTO since 1994 and is responsible for coordinating the BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatch project. He is the author of a book on garden birds and co-author of a book on bird migration. As well as his interest in garden birds he also has an interest in mammals, invertebrates and wildlife-friendly gardening. 5. Contacts. Mike Toms (Garden BirdWatch
Organiser) BTO Digital Image Library |
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