RSPB warns: Grease will do birds a fat lot of good by damaging feathers…
Don’t feed birds cooking fat from a joint of meat, or you could kill them with kindness, warns the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).
Cooled fat mixed with roasted meat juices can smear onto birds’ feathers and interfere with their waterproofing and insulation. Birds need to keep their feathers clean and dry if they are to survive the cold winter weather, but a layer of grease makes this virtually impossible.
Fat from roasting tins can quickly go rancid if it’s left in a warm kitchen, forming the ideal breeding ground for salmonella and other food-poisoning bacteria, which can be fatal to birds. Read more about feeding birds in winter. Don’t forget to clean bird feeders – they can spread disease.
Don’t feed birds cooking fat – also avoid anything salty
Birds will happily polish off leftover Christmas cake or crumbs of biscuit and mince pie, but avoid anything too salty. RSPB wildlife advisor Katie Nethercoat said: “Many people wrongly believe that leaving cooked turkey fat outside is beneficial for birds, but in fact, it can have disastrous effects. Only pure fats such as lard and suet should be used to make homemade fat balls, which will give birds the energy and nutrients to survive the cold winter months.”
If you’d like to treat your garden birds to their own Christmas cake, the RSPB suggests mixing birdseed, nuts and raisins with lard, squashing it in and around a pinecone, then hanging it with a string from a suitable tree.
Suitable foods to put out for birds
- Kitchen scraps like mild grated cheese
- Bruised fruit (not mouldy)
- Cooked rice
- Unsalted bits of hard fat
- Roast potatoes
- Dry porridge
- Bird food such as mixed seed, sunflower seed, nyjer seed and good-quality peanuts.
Foods to avoid
- Dried coconut
- Cooked porridge oats
- Milk
- Mouldy or salted food.
Don’t feed birds cooking fat – fresh water is vital
Another essential is fresh water for drinking and bathing. Float a small ball on the surface of the water, and even a light breeze will stop it from freezing over. Ensuring your garden is filled with food at the start of winter will give it the greatest chance of survival.
To buy bird food, feeders and other treats, visit rspbshop.co.uk/birdfoodgifts.
