With all this snow I am pretty much house (and garden)-bound at the moment. I have no wild bird food left and can't get anywhere to buy some more - my car is well and truly out of bounds, and I can't even walk the short distance to town as I live at the top of a very steep and clearly unimportant hill - if I ventured out on to that I'd end up at the bottom in a million pieces in no time at all!
I am stuck for ideas for things to give the birds from my cupboards - they never eat the fat cakes I make for them; I've tried cheese but that gets left by the birds or eaten by my dogs; dried fruit is somewhat popular but I've run out of that!! I have loads and loads of cous-cous and was just wondering if this would be suitable to give to my garden birds? And if it is, should I "prepare" it as if I was going to eat it first (ie soak in boiling water)?
Or does anybody have any other suggestions? Is rice ok? Cooked or uncooked?
Help me!
Hi Annabanana,
What a predicament! Please don't attempt the hill unless you have a sledge!
I have no idea about cous-cous. I don't like it so have never had any in the house.
Rice is excellent, but you must cook it first. Uncooked rice is bad for them. However, my birds turf it out of the feeder! You could try mixing it with something tastier - bacon fat?
Have you any biscuits, cake, pies, cornflakes, porrage oats, mueseli, scones, soft fruit such as banana, plums, apple, grapes. Even potato is a possibility. (Don't tell the RSPB but my jackdaws love a few chips every now and again as a very special treat)
I'm sure others will have some suggestions.
Cheers, Linda.
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They will eat jacket potatoes (and mine quite like mashed potatoes). They also like grated mild cheese if you have any to spare. As for couscous, they will eat it but I honestly cannot remember whether it should be cooked or not. I would suggest, if no one has answered your query by tomorrow you give the RSPB HQ at Sandy a call as they will gladly advise you and a phone call might be quicker than emailing them. But make sure you don't put salt in whatever you are cooking for them.
The necessity of bird-watching is a really good reason for avoiding all forms of housework.
The dust will still be there tomorrow - the birds may not be!
Lol at the chips!!!
A little bit of naughtiness does us all some good - well emotionally maybe more than physically.
Suggest you check the rice too. I'm sure I read somewhere that it sticks their bills together, and should not be given.
When thou seest an eagle, thou seest a portion of genius; lift up thy head!
I saw a piece on the RSPB site about feeding cupboard stocks, it said cooked plain rice & pasta was ok. Plain rolled oats & cereal ok (no milk on them). If I can find it I will copy & paste it here.
Here we are thebirdmum: http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/helpingbirds/feeding/whatfood/index.aspx
"All weeds are flowers, once you get to know them" (Eeyore)
My photos on Flickr
Found this on the main RSPB site but I can't find the one I was thinking of.
We receive numerous enquiries about what and how to feed garden birds. Many of them relate to the best type of food to provide, or whether particular foods are suitable for birds or not. This page shows you what to feed your garden birds - and what to avoid.
There are different mixes for feeders and for birdtables and ground feeding. The better mixtures contain plenty of flaked maize, sunflower seeds, and peanut granules.
Small seeds, such as millet, attract mostly house sparrows, dunnocks, finches, reed buntings and collared doves, while flaked maize is taken readily by blackbirds. Tits and greenfinches favour peanuts and sunflower seeds. Mixes that contain chunks or whole nuts are suitable for winter feeding only. Pinhead oatmeal is excellent for many birds. Wheat and barley grains are often included in seed mixtures, but they are really only suitable for pigeons, doves and pheasants, which feed on the ground and rapidly increase in numbers, frequently deterring the smaller species.
Avoid seed mixtures that have split peas, beans, dried rice or lentils as again only the large species can eat them dry. These are added to some cheaper seed mixes to bulk them up. Any mixture containing green or pink lumps should also be avoided as these are dog biscuit, which can only be eaten when soaked.
These are an excellent year-round food, and in many areas are even more popular than peanuts. The oil content is higher in black than striped ones, and so they are much better. Sunflower hearts (the husked kernels) are a popular no-mess food.
These are small and black with a high oil content. They need a special type of seed feeder, and are particular favourites with goldfinches and siskins.
These are rich in fat and are popular with tits, greenfinches, house sparrows, nuthatches, great spotted woodpeckers and siskins. Crushed or grated nuts attract robins, dunnocks and even wrens. Nuthatches and coal tits may hoard peanuts. Salted or dry roasted peanuts should not be used. Peanuts can be high in a natural toxin, which can kill birds, so buy from a reputable dealer, such as our online shop, to guarantee freedom from aflatoxin.
Fat balls and other fat-based food bars are excellent winter food. If they are sold in nylon mesh bags, always remove the bag before putting the fat ball out – the soft mesh can trap and injure birds. You can make your own bird cake by pouring melted fat (suet or lard) onto a mixture of ingredients such as seeds, nuts, dried fruit, oatmeal, cheese and cake. Use about one-third fat to two-thirds mixture. Stir well in a bowl and allow it to set in a container of your choice. An empty coconut shell, plastic cup or tit bell makes an ideal bird cake ‘feeder’. Alternatively, you can turn it out onto your birdtable when solid.
Mealworms are relished by robins and blue tits, and may attract other insect-eating birds such as pied wagtails.
Mealworms are a natural food and can be used to feed birds throughout the year. It can become quite expensive to constantly buy mealworms, and many people want to grow their own. You can culture your own mealworms (click on the link to the left). If you cannot face this performance, buy your mealworms from the professionals, consoling yourself with the thought that successful mealworm breeding is even more difficult than it sounds. Click on the link to the right to buy mealworms from our online shop.
It is very important that any mealworms fed to birds are fresh. Any dead or discoloured ones must not be used as they can cause problems such as salmonella poisoning.
Waxworms are excellent, but expensive. Proprietary foods for insect-eating birds, such as ant pupae and insectivorous and softbill food are available from bird food suppliers and pet shops. Insect food appropriately offered can attract treecreepers and wrens.
Fat from cooking is bad for birds. The problem with cooked fat from roasting tins and dishes is that the meat juices have blended with the fat and when allowed to set, this consistency makes it prone to smearing, not good for birds' feathers. It is a breeding ground for bacteria, so potentially bad for birds' health. Salt levels depend on what meat is used and if any salt is added during cooking.
Lard and beef suet on their own are fine as they re-solidify after warming and as they are pure fat, it is not as suitable for bacteria to breed on.
These are unsuitable for birds. Unlike humans, birds need high levels of saturated fat, such as raw suet and lard. They need the high energy content to keep warm in the worst of the winter weather, since their body reserves are quickly used up, particularly on cold winter nights. The soft fats can easily be smeared onto the feathers, destroying the waterproofing and insulating qualities.
Meaty tinned dog and cat food form an acceptable substitute to earthworms during the warm, dry part of the summer when worms are beyond the birds' reach. Blackbirds readily take dog food, and even feed it to their chicks.
Dry biscuits are not recommended as birds may choke on the hard lumps. It is sometimes added to cheaper seed mixtures for bulk. Soaked dog biscuit is excellent, except in hot weather as it quickly dries out. Petfood can attract larger birds such as magpies and gulls, and also neighbourhood cats. If this is likely to be a problem, it is best avoided.
Never give milk to any bird. A bird's gut is not designed to digest milk and it can result in serious stomach upsets, or even death. Birds can, however, digest fermented dairy products such as cheese. Mild grated cheese can be a good way of attracting robins, wrens and dunnocks.
Give fresh coconut only, in the shell. Rinse out any residues of the sweet coconut water from the middle of the coconut before hanging it out to prevent the build-up of black mildew.
Desiccated coconut should never be used as it may swell once inside a bird and cause death.
Cooked rice, brown or white (without salt added) is beneficial and readily accepted by all species during severe winter weather. Uncooked rice may be eaten by birds such as pigeons, doves and pheasants but is less likely to attract other species.
Porridge oats must never be cooked, since this makes them glutinous and could harden around a bird's beak. Uncooked porridge oats are readily taken by a number of bird species.
Any breakfast cereal is acceptable birdfood, although you need to be careful only to put out small quantities at a time. It is best offered dry, with a supply of drinking water nearby, since it quickly turns into pulp once wetted.
Many moulds are harmless, but some that can cause respiratory infections in birds, and so it is best to be cautious and avoid mouldy food entirely.
If food turns mouldy or stale on your birdtable, you are probably placing out too large a quantity for the birds to eat in one day. Always remove any stale or mouldy food promptly. Stale food provides a breeding ground for salmonella bacteria, which can cause food poisoning. At least one type of salmonella causes death among such species as greenfinches and house sparrows. Large quantities of food scattered on the ground may attract rats and mice. Rats can carry diseases that affect humans.
Last modified: 15 December 2009