The RSPB has advised garden bird enthusiasts to stop feeding seeds and nuts during the summer months to reduce the spread of avian diseases. The charity recommends replacing seed and nut feeders with small amounts of mealworms, fat balls, or suet from May to October, as these attract fewer finches and provide protein for chicks.
This guidance follows a significant decline in greenfinch numbers, which have fallen by 67% since 1979 due to trichomonosis—a parasitic disease transmitted more easily when birds gather at feeders in warmer weather. An estimated six million greenfinches and chaffinches have died from the disease in recent years.
Beccy Speight, chief executive of the RSPB, said: “We’re not asking people to stop feeding, just to feed in a way that protects birds’ long-term health.” The charity also advises cleaning feeders weekly, changing water daily, and removing flat-surfaced feeders where disease spreads more easily.
While feeding supports millions of garden birds, studies show it can alter nutrient cycles and reduce biodiversity. The RSPB recommends planting sunflowers, teasels, and ivy to provide natural food sources and encourage insects, which are vital for chicks.
The 2024 Big Garden Birdwatch, with 650,000 participants, placed the house sparrow top, followed by blue tit, starling, wood pigeon, and blackbird. The greenfinch ranked 18th overall.
