A popular trend can actually harm birds and seriously affect their health
Households that feed birds must not do one thing(Image: scu)
Households that feed birds have been urged not to make a mistake that could pose a danger to animals. Many people think they are doing a good deed by leaving food out for birds.
It is enjoyable to see all the different varieties come and go in our gardens. There are plenty of food options available, too, such as seeds, fruit, mealworms and fat balls.
However, horticulturalist David Domoney has urged gardeners to be “careful” about trying out a viral method. Many videos have been posted on social media encouraging people to create their own fat balls to feed to birds.
David has warned that some of the videos encourage techniques that could actually harm the birds. He urged: “Warning, be careful. There are some things on social media that can actually harm the birds in your garden.”
Only buy fat balls from garden centres or use pure lard(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
The garden expert said feeding birds fat balls is a “great” thing to do, especially if they are from a garden centre. Yet, David warned: “If you have made your own, it’s not so good as they are recommending using butter, using fat from the end of a fryer that’s dirty and salty, using coconut oil.
“Not only does it upset the bird’s stomach, but when they are preening, it also affects the oils in their feathers as well.”
David added: “Definitely do not follow that advice, on social media.” If you still want to make fat balls at home, David says you need to use pure lard.
Explaining his warning, David said: “Not everything you see on social media is safe advice. When it comes to feeding birds, using the wrong fats can seriously affect their health.
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“All of these can upset their stomachs and even interfere with the natural oils in their feathers when preening, affecting insulation and their flight. Please, no butter, no leftover fryer fat and no coconut oil.”
He said that, as an RSPB ambassador, it has been “disheartening” to see dangerous methods shared on social media.
David also shared that gardeners can help birds in many other ways, too. He suggested providing fresh, clean water daily, cleaning feeders regularly and keeping feeders in a safe position away from predators.
Many of David’s followers were thankful for his advice but didn’t realise the dangers. One said: “Fantastic advice.”
Another added: “I make my own with pure lard and they love them.” Someone else commented: “Thanks, I’ve always made mine with bacon fat.”
David told them: “I’m glad you found this helpful. The RSPB recommends steering clear of greasy, runny fats because they can coat feathers and affect waterproofing. They can soften quickly when it warms up, so a firmer mix is safer.”
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