Should I Feed the Birds in My Garden?
Sunday, 25 January 2026
There are lots of videos doing the rounds that feeding birds
in our gardens helps to spread disease.
Not only that, it favours some of the more aggressive species of birds
to thrive to the detriment of others.
What exactly does help the birds in our gardens?
As landscapes changed – bird-feeding spread. Here, Joel Ashton tells, with great clarity,
the steps that can be taken to help stop the spread of disease. It is also very sensible advice. For example, the blue-tit is quite an assertive
bird and people think that it is hogging the feeding stations – as well as
the nest boxes we place in the gardens,
too. As a fan of the blue tit, I was
relieved to find that it is not the thug in the garden that many people think
it is.
Bird behaviour changes when resources are limited. So a lot of birds behave badly – but of
course that is a human interpretation of their actions. Gardens are shared spaces, and competition is
normal – the birds don’t quite see things as we do. A simple tip is to spread different types of
feeding stations around the garden to avoid the birds having to feed shoulder-to-shoulder.
Watch the video below – it’s a great watch wherever you are.
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