SongBird Survival welcomes the RSPB’s updated guidance on feeding garden birds, which reflects a growing body of scientific evidence showing that supplementary feeding can increase the risk of disease transmission, particularly during the warmer months. The message emerging from the science is clear: to protect songbirds in the long term, we need to work with nature, not replace it.

We strongly support the move toward seasonal, safer feeding, and the recommendation to reduce seed and peanut feeding during summer and autumn when natural food sources are more abundant and disease risks are higher.

As a science‑led charity, SongBird Survival has long expressed concern that feeding birds year‑round can have unintended consequences - including the spread of diseases such as trichomonosis and changes in local bird communities that disadvantage more vulnerable specialist species.

Our approach was reflected in the SongBird Survival Garden at Chelsea Flower Show in 2025, designed with songbirds in mind, with bird-friendly planting providing natural sources of food, nesting material and shelter.

We continue to encourage people to help birds by:

- Providing fresh, clean water year‑round, refreshed daily

- Creating gardens rich in natural food and shelter, through wildlife‑friendly planting

- Maintaining excellent hygiene wherever feeders or water baths are used

Where feeding does take place, it should be done seasonally, sparingly, and safely, with the welfare of songbirds at the forefront.

Explore practical ways to help songbirds thrive naturally, including wildlife‑friendly gardening tips, at our Gardens for Birds campaign: