Gardeners are being urged to put egg shells on their bird tables this spring and summer in a bid to help garden birds.
April, May and June represent the most important time of year for birds – breeding and nesting season. It’s when birds are raising their chicks and need extra food, both for themselves and their young, to give them the best possible chance of survival – and unbeknownst to many gardeners, both eggs and egg shells can help the birds.
It’s especially important since bird population numbers have dropped in recent decades, with RSPB findings in its Big Garden Bird Watch this year showing birds like starlings in particular seeing huge declines.
The popular garden bird dropped from third to fourth place for the most commonly spotted species in the annual birdwatch, with the RSPB warning it has seen an 85% decline in average numbers seen per garden since the scheme began in 1979.
That’s why garden and wildlife experts are always urging people to do what they can to help birds, with feeding being a critical part of it.
But few people will realise how both eggs and egg shells can help birds out during nesting season. According to Really Wild Bird Food, chopped, cooked eggs provide essential nutrients for birds – and even crushed egg shells can feed them too.
They said: “Kitchen scraps make an excellent addition to your usual choice of bird food. By putting out the right scraps, you are helping to reduce landfill waste, as well as providing the birds with additional essential fats and carbohydrates which are especially important in the Winter and during nesting season.
“Chopped, cooked eggs contain many essential nutrients for birds, and even the crushed egg shells will provide calcium for nesting birds, plus the grit helps their digestion.”
They added, about other kitchen scraps: “Stale cereal and oats are fine, just as long as they don’t have a high sugar or salt content and are not soaked in milk. Cooked oats can harden around a bird’s beak, so raw oats are preferred.
“Plain, cooked pasta and rice is a popular choice and a great source of carbohydrates. Just make sure that they are not coated in sauce or cheese.”
But they stressed that any uneaten food must be cleared away to avoid the risk of spreading disease, adding: “It is vitally important to clear away any uneaten food. Not only does it attract rats and other vermin, but it can spread bacteria, and birds will not touch food that is off.”