Birds’ diets change slightly in spring, and one expert is asking people to stop leaving out one item that can mess up birdfeeders and even cause sickness
Anyone feeding birds in March asked to stop leaving out 1 common food item(Image: Getty)
Spring is a delightful season, with birds often singing as they build nests, incubate eggs, and introduce new chicks to the world. However, as temperatures rise, birds’ dietary needs shift somewhat, meaning those who enjoy feeding them should stop providing certain foods, as these can prove detrimental rather than beneficial.
Clare, a gardening specialist from Really Wild Birdfood, is urging people to stop putting out suet fat balls, an extremely popular bird feed, as they deteriorate rapidly during spring. She explained: “These can easily go soft and rancid in the heat so should be avoided. Commercially made fat products are suitable for use in the warmer months, but may not be as popular and so any uneaten product should be discarded after three weeks.”
Birds’ diets change slightly once the weather gets warmer(Image: Getty)
Suet balls are often offered to robins and other small birds because they help them store the calories needed to maintain warmth during the cold winter months.
They provide a convenient energy source that enables birds to endure severe weather, but their need for such calorie-dense foods diminishes as spring arrives.
Suet balls are poorly suited to milder spring temperatures because they can rapidly turn rancid, create a mess across bird feeders, and promote bacterial growth, reports the Express.
They may also produce mould, and birds consuming spoilt food can fall ill or transmit diseases such as trichomonosis.
Liquefied fat can adhere to birds’ plumage, forming a sticky coating that captures droppings, debris, and earth, which can also attract pests like ants.
Suet balls can melt in warm weather and cause a mess(Image: Getty)
What should you feed birds in spring?
Birds require more protein-rich foods rather than merely fatty foods to nourish their chicks, and at this time of year, fat will not supply the chicks with the nutrients they need to develop strong and healthy.
They will greatly appreciate mealworms at this time of year, as these are closer to their natural diet, given that birds tend to gather insects to feed their young.
Birds need more protein in spring since they are nesting and laying eggs(Image: Getty)
Birds also enjoy sunflower seeds, plain oats, chopped apples and sultanas that have been pre-soaked in water.
You can also offer birds small amounts of unseasoned grated cheese and rice.
Just exercise caution and ensure all food is cut into small pieces, as large chunks can be challenging for birds to swallow and may pose a choking risk for chicks.
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