CHRISTMAS LEFTOVERS: WHICH ARE SUITABLE FOR BIRDS?

We have lots of festive leftovers at this time of year, but not all should be given to the birds, wildlife specialists  CJ Wildlife explain

Birds delight us with year-round visits and fun antics, plus their own wild food supplies are likely to be dwindling as the winter stretches on. However, tempting as it is to go out with a tray of Christmas leftovers, bird lovers need to be very careful about what they put on their feeding stations for their feathered friends to eat.

Although people assume that everything we eat will be suitable for sparrows, robins and other species too, the truth is that some aren’t. Indeed, certain foods can be toxic, so people might unwittingly be doing more harm than good.

To help you out in knowing what’s okay to provide and what’s not, we’ve put together this brief guide for festive food.

Absolute no no’s

Fat balls – although we give birds fat balls, leftover turkey fat is a resounding no. The fat stays soft when it cools and so could cover birds’ feathers, damaging their ability to stay warm and even fly from danger.

Indeed, all leftover meat juices that we typically have at Christmas – including ham and goose – are unsuitable because they go off very quickly and can therefore become breeding grounds for bacteria.

Snacks – supermarket nuts, crisps and pretzels are also likely to be bad for birds because they usually have high levels of added salt, which is toxic, while chocolate is also poisonous because of the theobromine it contains.

Despite bread being something many people throw out for their feathered friends, it actually isn’t the best thing you can give them. It isn’t dangerous, but it doesn’t contain many nutrients and so fills their stomachs up with empty calories, potentially reducing their ability to stay warm by burning energy.

Finally, whilst dried fruit is perfectly safe to add to bird tables for your garden birds, do take extra care not to allow dogs or cats to eat any products containing sultanas or raisins as even in small amounts, these can cause serious renal problems.

Good to give at Christmas

Whilst cooked meat juices and fats are bad, processed, uncooked fat is actually great for birds because it is full of calories. Suet or lard mixed with one of our Seed Mixes makes for a lovely bird-friendly Christmas dinner.

Other good treats include the crumbs from Christmas cake, mince pie pastry and biscuits, dry porridge oats, fruit and grated mild cheese.

Many people are also unaware that cooked roast potatoes are suitable for birds too. Just cut them into small cubes and put them on your feeding stations.

With this advice and our specialist products, you can treat the birds in your garden to their own Christmas – just don’t forget to put out plenty of fresh drinking water for when they’ve finished.

For more information visit: www.birdfood.co.uk

About the Author

• About
• Latest Posts

Steve Ott

Steve Ott is editor of Kitchen Garden magazine and started his career as a professional grower, producing everything from cut flowers to vegetables. He has been growing fruit and veg all his life and spends most of his spare time in his garden in the East Midlands. He loves to experiment with crops and varieties he has never grown before and when he isn’t gardening is to be found out in the countryside bird watching and walking his dog Ted.

Latest posts by Steve Ott (see all)

• The Cottage Garden Society ‘Grow In Pots’ For The Malvern Show 9-12 May - 12th April 2024
• Arundel Castle’s Tulip Festival returns - 7th February 2024
• FREE TREES FOR SCHOOLS - 4th January 2024