Feeding Garden Birds

If you like to encourage birds to visit your garden then feeding them can be a good way of doing this. In many cases giving them the right kinds of foods can help supplement their diet but you need to be careful that you do provide healthy options here that do not harm the birds.

Many people will use bird tables to feed birds in their gardens and other options such as feeders, feeding stations and food balls are also popular. Common types of food that you can put out for birds include:

Bird seeds - there are various kinds of seeds and seed mixtures that you can put out for birds. The types of seeds you put out can also play a part in what kinds of birds you attract to your garden in the first place. For example, small seeds are popular with smaller birds such as dunnocks, sparrows and finches. Sunflower seeds and peanuts may attract tits and other finches. Other popular seeds here include black sunflower seeds and Niger seeds.
Food balls - many types of bird food can also be provided in balls (such as fat balls) or in bars which can be hung out for the birds. These are good types of food to put out in the winter.
Live food - many people find that putting out live food such as mealworms, waxworms and ant pupae will go down well with birds.
Pet food - some birds will be able to use dog and cat food to both feed themselves and their chicks. It is not, however, advisable to use dried food here but tinned food. This kind of food will generally attract larger birds.
Cheese - cheese is popular with robins, dunnocks and wrens although you should grate it first and only use milder varieties.
Rice/cereals - many birds will welcome cooked rice especially during winter months. Only larger birds will eat uncooked rice in most cases. Many birds will also enjoy porridge oats - uncooked not cooked.

Bear in mind that your garden itself can also be a source of food for birds so taking care to create the right atmosphere here can also be beneficial to birds.