How to Care for Garden Birds in Summer

The garden is the best place to be during warm summer days. With flowers in bloom and an endless orchestra of songbirds playing, getting out into your open space can be a great way to connect with yourself. There is even increasing evidence showing how caring for garden birds will have a remarkable effect on your mental health. Additionally, more birds will be around as summer coincides with the fledgling season. But with all these birds to care for, how can you protect them during the hottest time of the year? Here are some simple tips on how to care for garden birds in summer

What to feed garden birds in summer?

Whether you're a regular bird feeder or new to the sport, feeding birds during the summer can be an exciting experience. With more mouths to feed as baby birds leave their nests, your garden can soon be filled with the hustle and bustle of colourful species. Here are some recommendations for bird food to put out this summer.

What to feed fledgling birds?

Throughout summer, fledglings will leave their nest and venture out into the world with their parents to find food. Fledglings may be at risk of choking on large seeds and food such as peanuts, so it's best to provide small granules in your garden during this time, so that young birds can consume them easily. Below are some fledgling friendly bird food you can put out when you start seeing them in the garden.

What to do if you find a baby bird?

If you have found an abandoned bird that is a fledgling, there is no need to be alarmed as this is entirely normal, and its parents are very likely to be nearby. If it's a nestling, then you may need to step in and offer assistance. Remember: nestlings are unfeathered and can barely get around, so if the bird does not meet this criteria, you should leave it alone. If you would like to learn more about fledglings and how to identify them, check out our Get Ready for Fledgling Season blog post.

Use a variety of bird feeders this summer

You may think food is the most important thing to consider when feeding wild birds, but did you know bird feeders are just as important? On scorching hot days, when it takes your birds extra energy to find food, the last thing they want is overcrowding at their bird feeders. If you want to entice more of a variety of birds, the more feeders, the better! Scatter your feeders around the garden to give your birds more options of places to feed. Below are the top types of feeders that would work well in any garden.

Keep your birds hydrated

With the temperature rising, birds need a thirst-quenching drink just as much as we do. While many wildlife caring enthusiasts focus on topping up the feeders, many overlook the need to provide garden birds with a regular clean water supply. Not only is water great for keeping birds hydrated, but they will also use it for bathing. Birds cannot sweat, so they need baths to cool down on hot days.

You don't need a fancy bird bath or water fountain to offer your thirsty friends a drink; any old shallow bowl is better than no bowl. Here are some perfect drinking accessories that will work well in any outdoor space.

Shade and safety

While we're keeping our birds hydrated, it's important to remember they need shade to stay cool too. Leaving your trees or shrubs to bush out, and an area of your garden to overgrow offers shelter for any wild birds. If you want to go the extra mile for your garden birds, why not put up a Nest Box? Putting up a box in your garden can offer protection from any weather conditions and against predators.

Why do garden birds disappear in summer?

Towards the end of summer, you may notice that your garden starts to quiet down in bird activity, which can shock the system. Having your garden filled with the hustle and bustle of nesting season to silence suddenly. Don't worry; this doesn't mean your garden birds have fallen out with you as it's perfectly normal behaviour for this time of year.

By August, breeding season has come to an end, and fledglings are busy exploring the great big world. You might think that the parents are done for the year, but they can actually have multiple broods and so they'll be out finding new territories to set up homes. Click here to learn more about your garden birds disappearing.