Birds have a hard time in winter. They need more energy to keep their bodies warm, but the short days mean they have less time to find food. That’s why it doesn’t hurt to feed the birds in your garden.
But bird flu is rampant and not only chickens, but also wild birds are victims. Is it safe to feed garden birds at a feeding place where birds are close together?
“If you still want to feed garden birds, such as tits and sparrows, do it hygienically. If your garden borders the water, stop feeding water birds, including wild ducks. They are frequent victims of bird flu.” With these hygienic bird feeding tips you can give garden birds a helping hand without helping them get caught in the rain:
“If you hang a bird feeder or silo, make sure that you place it either closer than five meters or further than ten meters from a window. The risk of birds getting startled and flying into the window is greatest between five and ten meters from a window. Closer birds in a panic state have not yet developed enough speed to fly to the ground. Further away, they have sufficient reaction time and space to maneuver to avoid the window.”
“Not only bird flu, other diseases also affect birds in the autumn and winter,” said the Bird Protection Society. “You can recognize sick birds by their behavior: they are rounded, dull and not shy, so you can get close. Sometimes the beak looks dirty. If you see sick or dead birds in the garden, stop feeding them for two weeks. At a feeding place, birds come closer to each other than when they are looking for food in nature. This way they infect each other more quickly and you want to prevent that.”