Are bird feeders doing more harm than good?

Britain’s obsession with feeding the birds could be spreading avian disease, a study suggests. Gardeners spend around £200million a year on bird food, however experts say bird feeders are spreading illness because they bring species together that would never normally come into contact.

BRITAIN’S obsession with feeding the birds could be driving disease within avian populations, a study suggests.

Gardeners in the UK spend around £200 million a year on bird food, which helps some of Britain’s most beloved species get by in the harsh winter months and beyond.

However, research by Zoological Society of London and the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), suggests that bird tables and feeders are spreading illness because they bring species together which would never normally come into contact.

The risk of disease is also increased if bird tables and other feeding stations are not kept clean, so stale food, food waste and droppings accumulate, the report warned.

The study, published in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, used information on birds visiting gardens and observations of disease from citizen science project, the BTO’S Garden Birdwatch scheme which sees volunteers submitting findings year-round.

It combined information from the large-scale surveillance scheme over 25 years with post-mortem examinations of birds, to track some of the most common diseases. They found that the diseases spread rapidly through populations which were frequently meeting at feeders and bird tables. Finch trichomonosis, for example, emerged in British finches in 2005 but soon spread to gregarious seed-eating species that visit garden feeding stations, the research showed.

Kate Risely, a study coauthor from BTO, said: “We’re calling on everyone who feeds wild birds to be aware of their responsibility for preventing disease. “Simple steps we’d recommend include offering a variety of food from accredited sources, feeding in moderation, so that feeders are typically emptied every 1-2 days, the regular cleaning of bird feeders and rotation of feeding sites to avoid accumulation of waste food or bird droppings.”

British gardens have become a haven for many birds which have suffered from habitat loss and urbanisation, and some 48 per cent of households regularly leave food out to help garden visitors.

The researchers also noted that there was also a well-being aspect to feeding the birds which helps the growing disconnect from nature and fosters interest in wildlife and conservation.

However, the report points out that there are risks from feeding the birds, including that they will become reliant on the food and stop being able to fend for themselves.