Attracting wild birds in to our gardens has been a long term passion in Britain for centuries. It’s a great hobby which brings pleasure to so many people all over the world. Plus, it’s easy to get into, with a relatively low startup cost! Attracting wild birds into your garden is easy, but does require some patience and a few basic requirements:

Feed

It is important to choose the correct feed to suit your garden birds.
• Providing great quality wild bird feeds including Mixed Seed Blends, Straights such as Peanuts, fats and even live or dried Mealworms.
• Ensure that you provide a wide variety of wild bird feed, as this will attract a greater range of species. Experiment with different wild bird feeds, for example, Goldfinch just love Nyger Seeds and Greenfinch enjoy Sunflower Seeds.
• Think about the size of the seed you are offering. Larger birds such as Woodpigeon will eat most seeds and can manage larger types of seed, whereas smaller species will need little seeds.
• It is really important that once you start feeding the wild birds in your garden, that you continue all year round as they become reliant on you as a food source.
• During autumn/winter food can be scarce and wild birds will seek high-energy (high-fat) foods such as Suet Blocks, Fat Balls, Suet Treats, Peanuts, Sultanas or Mixes containing Suet Treats to help maintain their fat reserves and survive bitter cold nights.
• Spring and summer bring the promise of warmer climes and better natural food resources, however it is key to keep feeding your birds all year round. During this season, wild birds will need high-protein feeds whilst they moult and rear their young, such as Black Sunflower Seeds, Sultanas, dried or live Mealworms and Waxworms and all-round nutritious seed mixes.
• Avoid using whole feeds Peanuts outside of a strong Peanut Feeder and Fatty foods, during spring and summer as they can be harmful to nestlings.

Feeders

There are so many different types of feeders on offer, here’s a guide to choosing the right one for you.

• Starting is easy, choose a simple feeder such as a great value Flip Top Feeder to begin to tempting wild birds into your garden.
• Once you’ve started to attract visitors, specialise your feeders. To attract some Finch using Nyger Seed try a specially designed Nyger Seed Feeder.
• Having problems with Squirrels? Opt for a Squirrel Proof Feeder or Squirrel Baffle to stop these cheeky critters stealing your wild bird feed.
• After a while, if you want to attract more species, why not provide multiple feeders of different sizes on a Feeding Station or tree branch. This will reduce the competition and make your garden even more tempting.
• Be patient and introduce first one feeder as a time as it takes a time for wild birds to get used to new feeders. But once they’ve established your garden as a source of food, they are back in no time.

A Safe Environment

Most wild birds are naturally cautious of new situations and it can take time to feel at home in your garden

• Hygiene is of the upmost importance, so ensure that your feeders, baths and nest boxes are regularly cleaned and safely disinfected to avoid the risk of disease.
• Where possible, ensure that your garden is free from netting and garden fabrics that could cause wild birds to become entangled – especially during the breeding and fledging seasons.
• Provide an environment that minimises the risk from predators such as cats and hawks. Use a Humane Deterrent such as Catwatch to ward of cats from your feeding area.
• Place feeders as far away from your house as you can to avoid birds colliding into windows and use Window Alerts.
• Provide a safe home such as a Nest Box or Roosting Pouch.
• Place out fresh, clean water daily if possible in a Bird Bath.
• Plant wild bird friendly plants that can also supplement their diet such as wild meadow species.
• Give them as much cover as possible; the more trees, shrubs and hedges you have the more likely they will set up home.

Enjoy

• So you’re hooked, the final part is to sit back and enjoy watching the flourish of wild birds in your garden.
• If you want to identify the different species, it is recommended investing in an ID chart or book.
• For a closer look, why not try out a Window Feeder, plus it’s a great way to get children watching and interacting with nature.