Gardens are areas that are well watched, and many people are very interested in the birds that are around their garden and encourage the birds by providing additional food and clean water. Wire mesh peanut feeders, seed feeders and bird tables are all commonly used.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the British Trust for Ornithology both recommend that wild birds are fed all year round to enhance their success rates during the breeding season. However, there are concerns when a large number of birds are attracted into an area to feed. One is the increased danger of the spread of disease among birds.
Research carried out by the British Trust for Ornithology and the Zoological Society of London has recently been published. This review of 25 years of data identified emerging threats to garden birds. Finches, doves and pigeons are vulnerable to a parasite infection, trichomonas.