FEED THE BIRDS DAY

Weekend of 25 and 26 October 2008

HELPING YOUR BIRDS SURVIVE THIS WINTER

Why feed?

It's good to feed birds all year round - for warmth in the cold weather and energy during the breeding season.

Providing a little food, water and shelter can really help birds through the winter - and turn your garden into a wildlife haven for you to enjoy.

IN COLD WEATHER IT IS ESTIMATED THAT SMALL BIRDS NEED TO EAT

30-40% OF THEIR BODY WEIGHT

EACH DAY’.

Cartoon Bird in Snow

Why have Feed The Birds Day in October?

Feed The Birds Day marks the clocks going back and the winter nights drawing in - it's the time when birds and other wildlife need a little extra help as the first frost looms.

'It's good to feed birds all year round - for warmth in the cold weather and energy during the breeding season'

So please fill your feeders, clean your bird tables, put out some water and give a helping hand to the wild birds around you.

Oh, and while you think on, what's in your garden...space for a berry bearing shrub? Berberis & Pyracantha, your thrushes will love you for it.

And the sooner you start feeding them, the more birds you'll see when you sit down to enjoy the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch in January! You may be surprised how the number changes according to the food you put out

Waxwing (Scandinavian Thrush) eating berries

Cartoon Bird in Snow

'Wild birds are incredibly important in the lives of many people, the RSPB's Feed the Birds Day celebrates this special relationship and encourages everyone to feed garden birds. Our health is not at risk from feeding the birds in our gardens* and the food supplied could help them through the winter.'

What to feed - click here

Survival plan - click here

* Good hygiene at bird feeding stations is sensible. It is therefore essential that tables and any feeding area are checked and brushed or swept clean regularly to ensure there is no build up of food particles or droppings. Also, it helps to move the feeding site several times during a year. Regularly scrub clean bird baths, feeders, bird table or any solid feeding area using 10% disinfectant solution and rinse several times.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Registered charity no. 207076
Unless otherwise stated, copyright Laura Bimson/RSPB.