Want to help garden birds? Don't feed them in warmer months, says RSPB

Want to help garden birds? Don't feed them in warmer months, says RSPB Just nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleJustin RowlattClimate EditorArterra/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleEma SabljakEngland data unitPutting up bird feeders in your garden may seem kind but it could be putting some species at serious risk, according to the UK's largest bird charity.Millions of us regularly put out food in the hope of attracting our feathered friends, but the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) says people should take a break between 1 May and 31 October. It warns the warmer months can turn busy feeders into disease hotspots.The spread of a disease called trichomonosis has caused significant declines in species such as greenfinches and chaffinches.Once a familiar sight in UK gardens, the greenfinch population has decreased by two million. They are now on the red list of endangered birds.Trichomonosis is caused by a parasite that affects the mouth, throat and upper digestive tracts of birds and can make it hard for them to eat, drink or breathe.Infected birds shed the parasite in their saliva and poo, contaminating food sources when they feed. It can also be passed directly to chicks when adults regurgitate food.The RSPB's latest Big Garden Birdwatch results show that the number of greenfinches recorded has dropped from a ranking of seven in 1979, when the survey began, to a ranking of 18 in 2025.Over 16 million households are thought to put out food on a regular basis, with an estimated one bird feeder for every nine birds that use them.The RSPB hopes that persuading people to adopt its new advice will slow the spread of the disease, but it acknowledges that changing people's habits may prove difficult and potentially unpopular.Ben Andrew / RSPBA disease known as trichomonosis has led to dramatic declines in greenfinch populations across the UKThe industry body, UK Pet Food, estimates that we spend so...