10 Top Tips for Feeding Garden Birds in the Summer

We all know the wild birds need more food sources in the Winter but in the Summer, our feathered friends are particularly active - during the longer, warmer days – building nests, breeding, raising young - and providing the right food in your garden can support them during this busy time too.

“Then followed that beautiful season... Summer... Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical sound” – (PAR) Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Feeding and watching garden birds is such a delightful and fulfilling pastime, not only giving support to the birds but enhancing your enjoyment of the garden.

Here are our Top 10 Tips, plus a list of 22 birds and their favourite foods, and 25 beneficial garden plants to help you make a wonderful bird haven in an English garden this summer.

1. Do they need feeding in Summer?

Although Summer is usually a time of abundance, all wild birds still appreciate a helping hand. They are busy raising chicks; they use a lot of energy, and a consistent food source can make a significant difference.

As habitats have changed and therefore natural food sources, providing a food source ensures the survival of endangered wild birds and their young.

If you offer high-protein foods, for example, like Dried Mealworms, it will help with the energy demands of feeding their young.

2. Which Bird Foods are best in Summer?

The various birds have their own unique food preferences, of course. Providing a variety of foods in different places will attract a wider range of species. For example:

• Seeds - Sunflower seeds, nyger seeds, and mixed bird seed blends are excellent choices and are loved by all small garden birds throughout the year.
• Nuts - Peanuts are a good option, but ensure they are unsalted, aflatoxin-free, and only feed in a peanut feeder (use chopped nuts to avoid choking).
• Mealworms - These are particularly loved by robins and blackbirds. Dried mealworms are a good high-protein food. Feed on a bird table or ground feeder.
• Fruit - Fresh fruit like apples, pears, and garden berries can be a super treat for many birds, more especially in the winter. Fruity treats can attract ants, wasps and other pests in the heat of summer, so it is best to offer these only in small amounts occasionally.

Tip 1: Avoid overfilling feeders in summer as food can spoil more quickly in warmer weather.
Tip 2: Avoid fatty foods like suet treats during hot weather, as they can quickly become rancid.

3. Water is essential

Water is, of course, vital for birds throughout the warmer months, even in the often damp climate of the UK. If natural water sources like ponds and streams aren't available nearby, consider providing a birdbath and a hanging drinker.

A shallow birdbath offers a perfect spot for birds to drink and bathe, while a hanging drinker can provide a constant source of clean water.

Ensure the water is refreshed regularly to keep it free from debris and bacteria.

There is something truly enchanting about watching a bustling birdbath, as birds flit and splash, sending shimmering droplets into the air like tiny fountains.

Tip: Add a few pebbles to your birdbath to help smaller birds bathe safely without slipping.

4. Where should I place my Garden Bird Feeders?

It is best to place your feeders where birds can feed without the threat of predators, e.g. cats and sparrow hawks. Ideal spots include areas with natural cover nearby, such as hedges, bushes, or trees.

Check out our range of Bird Feeding Poles and Bird Feeders, and our Bird Tables too.

Clean the feeders regularly to prevent bacteria and the spread of disease. Use a mild disinfectant and rinse thoroughly.

Rotate feeding spots in your garden to avoid the build-up of waste on the ground and potential diseases in one area.

Remember, birds will come to rely on your garden for food, so if you're going on holiday or need to stop feeding temporarily, do so gradually, and then they won't be suddenly left without food.

Tip: To prevent birds from flying into large windows and glass doors, consider placing decals on large panes of glass near feeders.

5. Natural food sources

Encourage natural foraging by planting bird-friendly plants too. Native plants that produce seeds, berries, and nectar are ideal. Examples include:

• Trees and shrubs: Hawthorn, rowan, elderberry, dogwood, hazel, and holly.
• Climbers: Honeysuckle, roses and ivy.
• Wildflowers: Teasel, oxeye daisy, red campion, knapweed.

See our list of 25 Bird-Friendly Plants below.

Tip: In autumn, leave seed heads on plants like teasels and grasses to provide a natural food source and attract more species.

6. Avoid feeding bread to your birds

Bread, of any kind, offers little nutritional value and can be harmful if it becomes mouldy. It fills their stomachs and prevents them from eating foods with useful nutrition. Stick to more nutritious options that support the health and vitality of your garden birds.

7. Keep an eye out for nesting activity

If you notice nesting activity in your garden - for most breeds, this will start in the Spring and go through the Summer - avoid disturbing the area or nest boxes.

Try to keep feeders and birdbaths at a reasonable distance to reduce (activity) stress on parent birds and their chicks.

8. Create a bird-friendly habitat

Providing food is just one aspect of encouraging and supporting garden birds. Creating a habitat that offers shelter, nesting sites, and natural food sources will encourage birds to make your garden their home.

Plant a mixture of evergreen plants (for shelter) and deciduous plants (for food). Incorporate dense hedges or climbers to offer shelter and nesting opportunities.

Tip: Avoid herbicides and pesticides to protect the insects that birds feed on.

9. Beware of dangers from pets and predators

If you have cats or dogs, ensure that feeders are placed where they are not easily accessible to them.

Make sure there is cover nearby to save them from, e.g. Sparrow Hawks. Place feeders on high poles to keep birds safe and add baffles to protect the food against squirrels.

Tip: Consider fitting bells on cat collars to alert birds.

10. Enjoy the experience

Finally, enjoy the experience of feeding and watching the birds in your garden. Take time to observe the different species, watch their behaviours, and how they interact with each other. Birdwatching can be such a relaxing hobby to connect you with nature.

Tip: Record the birds you spot in a notebook or birdwatching app and participate in events like the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch (every January) to contribute to conservation efforts.

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22 Garden Birds and Their Favourite Foods & Plants:

1. Robin: Worms, suet, sunflower hearts, fruit, raisins, nuts, seeds, insects, dogwood
2. Blackbird: Earthworms, mealworms, suet, fruit, raisins, seeds, cotoneaster berries, elder, rowan, insects
3. Blue Tit: Mixed seeds, peanuts, sunflower, suet, insects, spiders, caterpillars, aphids, hawthorn, beech nuts, honeysuckle
4. Great Tit: Sunflower seeds, peanuts, suet, berries, insects, caterpillars
5. Long-tailed Tit: Insects, suet, sunflower hearts, spiders, berries, hawthorn, bramble, aphids
6. Coal Tit: Sunflower seeds, peanuts, suet, insects, seeds, conifer seeds, lichen
7. House Sparrow: Mixed seeds, grains, sunflower seeds, suet, insects, fruit, millet, (almost anything)
8. Chaffinch: Sunflower seeds, mixed seeds, peanuts, rosehips, fruit, insects, buds, earthworms
9. Goldfinch: Niger seeds, sunflower hearts, teasel seeds, canary seeds, birch seeds
10. Greenfinch: Sunflower seeds, peanuts, mixed seeds, birch seeds, rosehips, hawthorn
11. Bullfinch: Seeds, hedgerow berries, fruit tree buds, rosehips, dandelion, millet, slugs, caterpillars
12. Dunnock: Insects, spiders, aphids, beetles, mealworms, seeds
13. Nuthatch: Sunflower seeds, peanuts, suet, spiders, insect larvae, acorns
14. Siskin: Spruce & pine seeds, niger seeds, birch seeds, insects, peanuts
15. Jays: Acorns, hazelnuts, suet, insects, small mammals
16. Starling: Leatherjackets, spiders, earthworms, fruit, suet, mealworms, elderberries, blackthorn sloes
17. Song Thrush: Snails, earthworms, caterpillars, fruit, hawthorn, rowan, holly
18. Wren: Insects, spiders, mealworms, grasshoppers, tadpoles, seeds
19. Woodpecker: Insects, ants, suet, peanuts, hazelnuts, seeds, acorns
20. Collared Dove: Millet, corn, wheat, sunflower, mixed seeds, fruits
21. Woodpigeon: Seeds, grains, peas, sprouts, nuts, elderberries, rosehips, ivy berries
22. Magpie: Insects, carrion, seeds, small mammals, baby birds, bird eggs, worms

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25 Native Plants to Create a Bird-Friendly Garden

Trees and Shrubs

1. Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna): Produces red berries in autumn that birds such as thrushes and blackbirds love. Also, a great shelter for nesting.
2. Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia): Provides clusters of bright red berries loved by blackbirds, waxwings, and thrushes.
3. Elder (Sambucus nigra): Produces berries in late summer, a favourite for starlings, blackbirds, and pigeons.
4. Silver Birch (Betula pendula): Seeds attract finches like greenfinches and siskins. Also supports insects, which birds feed on.
5. Holly (Ilex aquifolium): Offers red berries in winter for thrushes and blackbirds, and dense foliage for shelter.
6. Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea): Provides berries in autumn and winter, attractive to birds like blackbirds and robins.
7. Guelder Rose (Viburnum opulus): Produces bright red berries in autumn, ideal for bullfinches and song thrushes.
8. Wild Cherry (Prunus avium): Produces cherries in summer for blackbirds, thrushes, and starlings.
9. Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa): Produces sloes (small blue-black fruits) that birds like thrushes and starlings eat.
10. Yew (Taxus baccata): Produces red berries in autumn, a favourite for many birds like mistle thrushes.
11. Common Reed (Phragmites australis): Provides shelter and seeds for birds like reed buntings.
12. Field Maple (Acer campestre): Attracts insects and provides seeds and shelter for birds.
13. Hazel (Corylus avellana): Offers nuts in autumn, a food source for birds like jays and woodpeckers.
14. Bramble (Rubus fruticosus): Produces blackberries that birds like blackbirds and robins eat, while its dense growth provides nesting cover.
15. Gorse (Ulex europaeus): Provides dense shelter and seeds for birds like linnets.

Climbers

16. Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum): Attracts insects, which birds like blue tits and wrens feed on. Also provides berries in autumn.
17. Ivy (Hedera helix): Offers dense shelter, nesting opportunities, and late-season berries for blackbirds and starlings.
18. Roses (Rosa species, especially wild varieties like dog rose): Produce rose hips, a food source for birds like finches.

Wildflowers

19. Teasel (Dipsacus fullonum): Its seed heads are highly attractive to goldfinches in autumn and winter.
20. Cowslip (Primula veris): Attracts insects that birds feed on and supports the food web.
21. Bird’s-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus): A nectar source for insects, which birds like robins and sparrows feed on.
22. Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare): Seeds provide food for sparrows and finches.
23. Common Knapweed (Centaurea nigra): Seed heads attract finches like goldfinches and linnets.
24. Red Campion (Silene dioica): Attracts insects and moths, providing food for birds.
25. Meadow Buttercup (Ranunculus acris): Loved by insects, which are a vital food source for many birds.

We hope you have found these tips and notes helpful as a guide to preserving our bird populations. By providing a variety of foods and native plants, you can create a haven for these beautiful birds while enjoying the natural activity in your garden.
Happy bird feeding!

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Tips for Feeding Garden Birds in the Summer text and all images are © Flyte so Fancy Ltd 2025. Author: Anne Weymouth (Co-Director, Flyte so Fancy Ltd).