Wildlife researcher Jack Baddams told BBC Morning Live that the RSPB is changing its advice on bird feeding from November. Earlier this year, the organisation called for a pause on using feeders due to trichomonosis, a disease that has killed millions of birds.
Why feeding was paused
Baddams explained that the RSPB released guidance in the spring advising people to stop feeding seeds and peanuts during warmer months. Trichomonosis is transmitted between finches at feeders and has caused severe losses.
He said: “The RSPB released some news back in the spring that sort of shook up how we feed the birds a little bit because we’re getting increasingly concerned about disease that are being spread at feeders. The RSPB’s new guidance says that over the spring and summer, stop feeding seeds and peanuts because that’s where this particular disease called trichomonosis is transmitted between finches, and it’s killed millions of them.”
New guidance from November
From November, the advice changes. Baddams said it is acceptable to hang seed and peanut feeders again, provided they are cleaned regularly – ideally once a week. Water areas such as bird baths should also be cleaned.
He also advised moving feeders around to prevent disease building up in one spot. “You need to move those feeders around as well to stop the build-up of disease in one spot. So when you get there every time you go and fill up your feeder, if you can move it somewhere else, it’s going to stop disease from being built up in one spot over and over again,” he said.
Flat feeders should go
Baddams said flat-surfaced feeders, including bird tables, window feeders, and AI smart bird feeders with cameras, should be removed. He explained that birds can defecate where they eat on flat surfaces, increasing disease spread.
He added: “We need to get rid of any flat surfaced feeder. So that’s bird tables, that’s window feeders, and that’s there’s a big trend now for AI smart bird feeders that have got cameras in them and they’ll take a picture and beam it straight to your phone. They’re really cool, but they’re not good because they’re flat surfaces. Birds can poo in the same area that they’re eating and it’s really bad for disease spread. But the best thing can do, I always say, is to build an ecosystem in your garden and not just a fast food restaurant. Try to feed the birds naturally.”
He also suggested leaving fallen leaves in borders rather than bagging them, as this provides overwintering habitat for invertebrates and food for birds like blackbirds and robins.
