Want to share your Christmas festivities with the birds in your garden? Follow our tips on what Christmas food you can give to the birds safely, this Christmas.
Leftover suet or lard from your Christmas meat (excluding turkey fat as this sticks to birds feathers) can be put out in chunks for birds to peck at, or add in one of our seed mixes including dried mealworms for extra protein to make a nutritious bird-friendly main course. Many people are also unaware that cooked roast potatoes are suitable for birds too. Leave them to go cold then just cut them up and add to your feeding stations. In fact, a small portion of cold cooked vegetables will be a healthy option too! Birds will happily tuck into carrots, parsnips, peas and even sprouts if you have any left over. Moving on to a festive dessert and tasty treats include the crumbs from Christmas cake, mince pie pastry and biscuits - which are full of fat and fruit providing lots of energy. Mix wedges of fallen fruit with some grated hard mild cheese and your banquet is complete. Please note that if you are providing dried fruit for your birds, remember this can be seriously harmful to dogs and cats so keep it contained within your bird table.
The Main Course
Dessert
The Naughty List
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No to Turkey fat!Turkey fat is an absolute no - it stays soft even when they cool and soo could cover birds' feathers, damaging their ability to stay warm. Just so you know, our fat balls are a perfect alternative as we create these to special recipes so remain a firm consistency in all weathers!
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Leftover Meat JuicesAll leftover meat juices that we typically have at Christmas - including ham and goose - are unsuitable because they go off very quickly and can therefore become breeding grounds for bacteria, which could cause poisoning.
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Nibbles are a no no!Snacks such as supermarket nuts, crisps and pretzels are also bad for birds because they usually have high levels of added salt, which is toxic, while chocolate is also poisonous because of the theobromine it contains. Instead give birds unsalted, unprocessed nuts contained in a mesh feeder.
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Bread isn't the bestDespite bread being something many people throw out for their feathered friends, it isn't actually the best thing you can give them. Although it isn't dangerous, it doesn't contain many nutrients and so fills their stomachs up but with minimal calories needed, potentially reducing their ability to stay warm.
Our Handy Guide
To be sure you're feeding your garden birds the right christmas leftovers, we've pulled together a handy downloadable guide for you to follow and share with others.
Download Now Little gifts for nature that will put a smile on their face.
Gifts for Nature Lovers