Warning to anyone with a bird table in garden

Households across the UK with a bird table in their garden have been issued a warning not to use them to feed certain birds.

While bird tables provide a sheltered spot for birds to eat and drink when they visit gardens, they can actually spread disease, so gardeners should be mindful of using them.

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) warns that offering seed to birds on a bird table or ground feeder is not recommended in gardens where pigeons, doves, greenfinches or chaffinches are known to visit.

These particular species of birds are more prone to being infected with a parasite that causes trichomonosis, which can be spread from the surface of bird tables.

Trichomonosis is a contagious disease that affects the upper digestive tract of birds and is transmitted via the saliva of those that are infected, meaning it can be picked up from food that has been dropped or regurgitated.

The disease is widely acknowledged to have caused the rapid decline of the British greenfinch population since 2006, but it has also been documented in House Sparrows, Dunnocks, Great Tits and Siskin.

The RHS said: “In gardens where pigeons, doves, greenfinches or chaffinches are known to visit, offering seed on table or ground feeders is not advised due to the increased potential for transmission of trichomonosis as these species are prone to being infected with the parasite that causes this disease. 

“This parasitic disease is transmitted via the saliva of infected birds, which can be present on dropped or regurgitated food, and has caused a decline of around 70% of the British greenfinch population since 2006.”

Infected birds will show signs of general illness, such as lethargy and fluffed-up plumage, and may show difficulty swallowing or have laboured breathing.

Feeding tables should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected regularly with a weak solution of domestic bleach, or other specially designed commercial products, and all surfaces should be rinsed with clean water and air dried before use.

Feeders should also be moved around the garden to different locations regularly to avoid any contamination build up in an area of ground underneath,  as birds will feed on dropped food which can easily be infected by waste and droppings.

Lucy Taylor, bird expert for Vine House Farm, said: “Providing garden birds with food on bird tables, ground trays and other small and confined flat surfaces, does carry a particular risk to the health of birds because of the increased chance of disease transmission. 

“This is because the disease Tricomonosis – which especially affects Greenfinches and Chaffinches – can more easily be transmitted when an infected bird drops food onto the flat surface, which another bird then picks up. 

“The other main problem is bacteria from decaying food and waste from seed husks which builds up on a flat surface, potentially leading to Salmonella – which again can be fatal to birds and in particular species of finch. But the good news is that these risks to birds can be greatly reduced if very regular and thorough cleaning is carried out on all types of bird feeders, plus other measures are taken”

If you suspect any birds in your garden may be affected by the disease you should stop feeding for at least two weeks to encourage them to disperse and only reintroduce feeding when you are no longer seeing birds displaying signs of disease. If you wish to report signs of disease in birds in your garden you can do so online via Garden Wildlife Health.