Want to help garden birds? Don’t feed them in warmer months, says RSPB
RSPB Advises Against Year-Round Feeding to Combat Disease Spread
The UK’s largest bird conservation organization, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), is urging gardeners to pause their feeding routines during the warmer months, from 1 May to 31 October, to protect vulnerable species. This recommendation comes amid concerns that regular feeding can exacerbate the spread of trichomonosis, a parasitic illness affecting birds’ mouths, throats, and upper digestive tracts.
Trichomonosis and Population Decline
Trichomonosis has led to dramatic drops in populations of greenfinches and chaffinches, species once common in UK gardens. The RSPB reports a two-million decrease in greenfinches, now placing them on the red list of endangered birds. Infected birds spread the parasite through saliva and droppings, contaminating feeders and potentially infecting chicks via regurgitated food.
Feeding Habits and Economic Impact
According to the RSPB’s latest Big Garden Birdwatch data, greenfinches dropped from the seventh most recorded species in 1979 to the eighteenth in 2025. Over 16 million households routinely provide bird food, with an estimated one feeder for every nine birds. The UK Pet Food industry estimates this practice costs £380 million annually, equating to 150,000 tonnes of bird food—enough to support three times the breeding populations of the ten most common garden birds if used year-round.
Seasonal Feeding Guidelines
The RSPB promotes “feed seasonally, feed safely” as a key strategy. It advises against continuous feeding during warmer months, emphasizing the importance of weekly feeder cleaning and relocating them to prevent contamination. Water should only be offered daily, using fresh tap water, and bird baths must be sanitized regularly. The charity highlights that flat surfaces, like traditional bird tables, are more prone to accumulating pathogens, prompting them to discontinue sales of such feeders last year.
“It’s really nice to see them from the window—they look very chipper out there,” says Helen Rowe, a London resident who regularly feeds sparrows. While she enjoys the close encounters, she plans to stop using feeders during warmer months to avoid disease spread.
Some critics, like Dick Woods of a feeder manufacturing company, question whether the advice applies uniformly nationwide. “Every garden is different. In some areas, food is abundant; in others, there’s little alternative,” he notes. The RSPB acknowledges these variations but argues simplicity in messaging is crucial for widespread adoption. “We know change won’t happen overnight,” says Martin Fowlie of the RSPB. “Our goal is to make the guidance easy to follow, even if it takes years to fully implement.”
