Plea to all UK households with gardens over 'highly contagious

Introduction

UK garden bird populations are under renewed pressure from trichomonosis, a highly contagious parasitic disease that has hit finches especially hard in recent years. The RSPB is now urging householders across Britain to rethink how they feed garden birds as spring turns to summer, when the risk of outbreaks climbs sharply.

What This Means for UK Gardeners

If you keep a feeder or a bird bath, your routine matters more than the amount of food you put out. Trichomonosis spreads where birds gather closely, so anything that cuts down crowding at a single point in the garden helps. A few seasonal changes from May through October will lower the risk to greenfinches, chaffinches and other species that visit our patches.

The key shifts are straightforward: swap loose seed and peanuts for small amounts of mealworms, fatballs or suet during the warmer months; clean feeders and baths weekly with hot soapy water and a bird-safe disinfectant; and move feeders around the garden so droppings and contamination do not build up in one spot. Keep food dry and only offer what birds will eat in a day or two. Flat-surfaced bird tables are best avoided, as contaminated food can pile up on them. For water, change tap water daily or rely on a garden pond if you have one — the parasite can survive in water for a time.

Key Points

• Trichomonosis is a contagious parasite blamed for steep declines in greenfinch and chaffinch numbers across the UK.
• The disease spreads fastest where birds cluster, particularly at feeders and baths during summer and early autumn.
• Between 1 May and 31 October, the RSPB recommends pausing loose seed and peanuts in favour of small amounts of mealworms, fatballs or suet.
• Clean feeders and baths at least weekly, relocate feeders regularly and only put out food birds will consume within a day or two.
• Starlings are now red-listed, with UK breeding numbers down roughly 82% between 1970 and 2022, adding urgency to safer feeding habits.

Further Reading

GardenWizz has seasonal guides to feeding garden birds through the year and to making a small garden wildlife-friendly, including how to plant for pollinators alongside bird-friendly shrubs.

Source: https://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/gardening/plea-uk-households-gardens-over-37302485