As it ‘s feed the birds day this coming saturday we thought we would give the limelight over to the real stars of the show, garden birds. We have picked five species that we can all help in and around the garden at this time of year and will give a few hints and tips about how to help them. First up, the starling!
The starling has a bit of a reputation for being a rogue in the garden. They are noisy, numerous and often squabble quite a bit. They also get through bird food at a rate of knots! However, despite their ‘in your face’ antics, the starling is actually a species in trouble in the UK with recent population declines resulting in their red listed status. In Wales they are fairing particularly badly.
Part of the problem may sit with a lack of suitable nesting opportunities as well as reduced food availibility throughout the breeding season. So here are some tips to help the starling on the road to recovery;