Please don’t put the fat from your roasting tins outside for the birds – you could be killing them with kindness. Many people wrongly believe that it is as beneficial to birds as other fats like lard and suet but cooked turkey fat is dangerous for birds for several reasons.
It remains soft even when cooled, meaning it could smear onto birds’ feathers and ruin their water-proofing and insulating qualities.
Birds need clean, dry feathers to survive the cold and a layer of grease would make this virtually impossible.
The fat in roasting tins cannot be separated from other leftover elements like meat juices. This concoction can go rancid very quickly, especially if left in a warm kitchen for a while before being put outside, and form an ideal breeding ground for salmonella and other food poisoning bacteria.
Birds are prone to bacterial infections at this time of year as their defenses are low and their energy levels depleted with the cold.
Also, many people add other ingredients to a joint of meat before roasting including rubbing it liberally with salt in order to crisp the skin. High levels of salt are toxic to garden birds.
The cooking juices from all other meats as well as turkey are equally as unsuitable for feeding to garden birds.
The RSPB recommends that the best way to dispose of meat fat is to leave it to cool down and put it in the bin, not pour it down the sink, a message echoed by the water companies.
For more information about how to give nature a home in your outside space visit rspb.org.uk/advice