Renowned naturalist Chris Packham has raised concerns about the practice of feeding wild birds in UK gardens, citing risks of disease spread through saliva among bird populations. Despite the nation’s £350 million yearly expenditure on bird food, feeders, and tables, Packham emphasizes the need to reassess this widespread habit to ensure the health and safety of our feathered friends.
Ahead of the upcoming return of BBC’s Winterwatch, Packham candidly shared that “the jury’s out” on whether feeding should be halted completely. This topic is set to be a key focus during the week-long series airing on BBC2.
“There are a couple of reasons why it’s being questioned,” Packham explained. “Firstly, some diseases spread through bird saliva are a real problem. However, feeding supplements diets that birds struggle to fulfill due to challenges in the wider countryside. It’s truly between a rock and a hard place, and tough decisions lie ahead.”
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One such disease, trichomonosis, has profoundly impacted finch species including greenfinches, chaffinches, and goldfinches. Additionally, another illness is severely affecting blackbirds through contaminated ground food sources.
At 64, Packham acknowledges that while change is necessary, it will not happen overnight given bird feeding is a deeply embedded winter ritual across the UK. “Initially, people might resist,” he admitted. “It’s like picking up dog waste—not overnight, but eventually most people adopted it. In some areas feeding may still be appropriate, while in others, it might need to stop.”
To mitigate risks, Packham has developed a rigorous feeding routine in his New Forest garden, using around five feeders and a plastic bin filled with biodegradable sterilising fluid. Each feeder is cleaned and rotated every time it empties.
Last winter, after finding dead chaffinches in his garden, he ceased feeding entirely for several months. “On Winterwatch, we’ll present scientific research and help the public make informed choices,” he noted.
This season’s Winterwatch broadcasts live from the National Trust’s Mount Stewart estate in Northern Ireland, a wildlife haven home to red squirrels and a host of migratory ducks and geese. Using thermal imaging, viewers will witness elusive creatures like pine martens, otters, and badgers active after dark.
In previous episodes, audiences were astonished as night-vision cameras captured a fox hunting and killing a stoat, highlighting the raw realities of the natural food chain. “Our duty is to report nature accurately and without bias,” Packham stressed. “People don’t lament a blackbird eating worms, but some react emotionally when a fox eats a blackbird. There really isn’t much difference.”
While Packham opposes gratuitous content, he believes showing predation is an essential, compelling part of storytelling in wildlife programming. “Sometimes I get frustrated with softer team members asking if we really need certain scenes. I say, ‘Yes, we do,’” he concluded.