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Approximately 30 species of bird are regular garden visitors, although more than 140 bird species have been recorded in British gardens. Some are seasonal visitors such as house martins in summer or redwings in winter. Others such as robins and blackbirds are resident year round and can become very familiar faces in the garden or allotment. A good population of birds in the garden is part of a healthy garden ecosystem, helping to keep caterpillars and aphids in check which can damage garden plants.

When and how to feed 

Stocking your garden with a variety of seed-bearing and berrying plants is the most sustainable way to provide for garden birds. Supplementary feeding, however, can help fill seasonal gaps in natural foods and in new gardens where planting is still to mature.

According to new guidance from the RSPB, the safest way to provide supplementary bird food is to feed seasonally. 

• 1 May to 31 October: outbreaks of diseases spread at bird feeders is highest in summer and autumn, so pause filling bird feeders with seeds and peanuts. Offer small amounts of mealworms, fat balls, and suet. 
• 1 November to 30 April: this is the hungriest time of year when birds look for food in gardens, so offer seeds and peanuts in feeders and small amounts of mealworms, fat balls, and suet.

Type of feeder and feeder hygiene

• Use wire mesh feeders for peanuts and seed feeders for other seed
• Place fat blocks in wire cages. Plastic nets around fat balls must be removed as birds, such as woodpeckers, can get caught up in the mesh. Create your own fat blocks by melting suet into moulds such as coconut shells or into holes drilled into logs
• Avoid flat feeders such as bird tables and window feeders as these can encourage the spread of diseases such as trichomonosis in finches

To help limit the spread of infections and diseases, keep feeders clean, refill little and often (1-2 days worth of food) and, if possible, change their position in the garden to avoid fouling the ground underneath. Here's some

Learn more from the RSPB advice on .

Safe water for birds

Water is essential for bathing and drinking throughout the year. A wildlife pond with easy access is one of the safest ways to provide water for birds in your garden. If you don't have a pond, provide water in a shallow container, preferably with sloping sides and no more than 5 cm (2 in) deep. It's important to change the water every day with tap water and clean out bird baths at least once a week to reduce the risk of disease spread in wild birds. During frosty weather, remove the ice so birds can continue to have access to water.

Tips for feeding

See our list of favourite bird plants in section 4 to turn your garden into a feast for birds. If you need to use supplementary feeds, offer a mix of different foods and recipes to entice a range of birds. 

• No-mess seed mixes are more expensive but the inclusion of de-husked sunflower hearts means there is less waste and debris under the feeder. Inferior mixes are often padded out with lentils and wheat
• Sparrows, finches and nuthatches enjoy prising the seeds out of sunflower heads. Also, leave seed heads on herbaceous plants over winter
• Nyjer seed is liked by goldfinches, greenfinches, and siskins
• Mealworms are a favoured food of many garden birds and are a high-protein source, particularly enjoyed by robins and other insect-eating birds
• Fruit is favoured by thrushes and blackbirds. Scatter over-ripe apples, raisins and song-bird mixes on the ground for them (note raisins can be toxic to dogs). Consider planting berrying shrubs and trees, including favourites such as Malus, Sorbus, Cotoneaster and Pyracantha
• Fat or suet is important, particularly in winter when birds need to maintain their fat reserves to survive the cold. Add seed or fruit to homemade fat blocks to see which your birds enjoy most

Find out more about feeding garden birds from the and .

There are many garden plants that provide food in the form of berries (B) or seeds (S). Check out our plants for birds page or see some of our favourites listed below:

Cultivated plants

Berberis (B)
Cotoneaster(B)
Crataegus(thorns) (B)
Daphne mezereum (B)
Helianthus annuus (sunflower) (S)
Ilex(holly – female cultivars) (B)
Ligustrum ovalifolium (privet) (B)
Lonicera (honeysuckle) (B)
Mahonia (Oregon grape) (B)
Malus (single-flowered eating and crab apples) (B)
Photinia davidiana (B)
Prunus avium, P. cerasus (single-flowered cherries) (B)
Pyracantha(firethorn) (B)
Rosa rugosa, R. moyesii(rose) (B)
Sorbus(mountain ash and whitebeams) (B)
Viburnum betulifolium (B)

British native

A native plant is one that originated or arrived naturally in a particular place without human involvement. In the British Isles, native plants are those that were here during the last ice age or have arrived unaided since.

plants

Alnus glutinosa (alder) (S)
Betula pendula (birch) (S)
Carduus nutans (musk thistle) (S)
Centaurea scabiosa (greater knapweed) (S)
Crataegus monogyna (hawthorn) (B)
Dipsacus fullonum (teasel) (S)
Frangula alnus (alder buckthorn) (B)
Hedera helix (ivy) (B)
Ilex aquifolium (holly – female plants ) (B)
Knautia arvensis (field scabious) (S)
Rhamnus cathartica (purging buckthorn) (B)
Rosa canina, R. rubiginosa (wild roses) (B)
Rubus fruticosus (blackberry) (B)
Sambucus nigra (elderberry) (B)
Sorbus aucuparia (mountain ash) (B)
Sorbus aria (whitebeam) (B)
Succisa pratensis (devil's bit scabious) (S)
Taxus baccata (yew) (B)
Viburnum opulus (guelder rose) (B)
Viburnum lantana (wayfaring tree) (B)

Each bird species has different requirements for nesting sites. Many birds nest in dense vegetation including shrubs, hedgerows and trees. Holes in trees provide a natural nest site for several species. Take care if undertaking house repairs as some birds such as house sparrows, starlings, house martins and swifts can nest in the soffit boards under the eaves. See our (±è»å´Ú).Ìý

Bird boxes can provide additional nest sites in gardens and are often used. Advice on bird boxes can be found from the and .

Remember, it is an offence under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 to damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while it is in use or being built. If pruning or working close by, stop work immediately if you suspect birds are active.

Sometimes bigger visitors such as magpies, pigeons and squirrels can monopolise bird feeders. Most feeder designs can be fitted with squirrel guards or enclosed by an outer cage that keeps out larger animals. These structures can also affect which birds visit.

Bird boxes can also be affected by predators so fit metal entrance surrounds to exclude these if necessary. Nest boxes can be cleaned out once a year in autumn. Sometimes bird boxes are used by tree bumblebees.

Dead and diseased birds in gardens

Like all animals birds suffer from debilitating diseases and can become injured. Occasionally a dead bird may be found in a garden. These can be reported to the . The project aims to monitor and assess diseases in British wildlife. Keep feeders clean, refill little and often and change position of feeders often to help reduce the risk of disease spread.

There are several projects where you can record your garden bird visitors to help with research and conservation: