If you are hoping to get a variety of birds visiting your garden, it’s important to put out water bowls and feeders.
When it comes to filling the feeders, not just any foods will do though. Birds need a good mix in their diets to ensure that they get all of the nutrients they need to stay healthy.
Before we look at what those foods are, it is important to point out that the feeders should be used at all times of the year. Birds require feeding for different reasons depending on the season; in the springtime, for example, it is a matter of keeping the young chicks fed. In summer, food provided by humans in feeders helps make up for the comparative lack of food on dry ground.
In the autumn, it is about stocking up their bodies for the colder months, while throughout the winter, the food you provide may well be a matter of survival.
Your feeders should contain a good mix of bird seed and grains. This will mean additions like sunflower hearts, oats and millet. These are all staple parts of a garden bird’s diet, but they should also be balanced out by other offerings.
Small pieces of fruit, such as pears or apples, are good additions to your feeders or bird tables, as are peanuts. These must not be salted though, or have aflatoxin in them, so make sure the peanuts are free of these additives before putting them out. Finally, supplement those items with some dried mealworms, which provide birds with fibre, protein and fats. If wetted, these can also supply hydration.
