Cooked pasta is among the recommended foods
Many gardeners enjoy seeing birds visit(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
The RSPCA has advised of cheap food items and leftovers that can help to support bird populations this August. Fruits and nuts are commonly left out on bird tables, but there are more affordable options that can also help to reduce household food waste.
Budget-friendly kitchen staples of rice, potatoes and cooked pasta can be served up on bird tables, reports the Express – and now is an ideal time to do so.
The animal welfare charity advises that “dry ground makes it harder to find food”, so birds are in need of some extra help following this summer’s heatwave. It’s crucial to remember that the pasta must be properly boiled and cooked through, never raw, as uncooked pasta could pose a risk.
This is because raw pasta is hard for birds to digest. In some instances, it can cause bloating, discomfort, or even internal damage if it expands after being ingested.
Numerous bird species are facing threats due to habitat loss, dwindling food sources like the decline in insect populations, as well as climate change and pollution.
That’s why households are being asked to lend a hand by supplying food for avian visitors to their gardens, which will also help them in nourishing young fledglings during August.
Fledglings are young birds that have just departed their nests. Due to their inexperience, they remain beginners at finding sustenance and need substantial nourishment for development.
The RSPCA recommends providing fruits, seeds, unsalted chopped peanuts and food scraps for garden birds. Its guidance states: “Birds love to eat: fruit – apples, pears and soft fruits;
“Suitable seeds and grains – like nyjer, millet, oats, and sunflower seeds; Peanuts – must be unsalted, fresh and that they don’t contain aflatoxin (a poison caused by fungus mould).
“Young chicks might choke on whole peanuts, so always put them in feeders with a smaller mesh.
“Food scraps – cooked pasta, rice and boiled potatoes or cheese and uncooked and unsalted bacon rind.”
The recommendations stress removing any remaining food each evening and keeping feeding areas consistently clean. This advice follows the RSPB’s temporary withdrawal of flat bird tables from their outlets whilst investigating potential disease transmission risks associated with exposed food left on flat surfaces.
The organisation now promotes regular cleaning of feeding stations and nesting boxes, along with swift removal of any uneaten provisions.
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