Bird feeders and water dishes: do and don't

Putting out food is the quickest way to bring birds close to a window. Done well, a feeder gives tūī, tauhou (silvereye) and korimako (bellbird) a boost when natural food is short. Done badly, it spreads disease, feeds rats and mynas, and leaves birds hungry for the wrong things. This field note sets out what works, what doesn't, and how to keep it clean.

One idea first: feeding is a supplement, not a substitute. Native planting that flowers and fruits across the year does more for birds over time than any feeder. See our note on planting a bird-friendly garden.

Do: sugar water for nectar feeders

Sugar water is the best-known way to attract nectar-feeding birds such as tūī, korimako, tauhou and, in some suburbs, kākā. Manaaki Whenua's Garden Bird Survey advice describes it as a great supplementary food for these birds, with a clear reminder to keep the feeding station clean.

The mix. Recommendations vary a little between sources. Birds New Zealand's home-feeding guide suggests a quarter to half a cup of raw or brown sugar per litre of water, and DOC has suggested about a third of a cup per litre. We use the lower end. A weaker mix ferments more slowly and is less attractive to wasps and bees.

Don't use honey. It's tempting because it's "natural", but honey can carry spores of bee diseases such as American foulbrood. Honey bees that find your feeder could carry the disease back to their hives (aucklandbeehelp.co.nz explains how American foulbrood spreads). Plain sugar avoids the problem.

Freshness. Sugar water grows yeast and mould quickly in warm weather. Make a small batch, replace it at least every day or two (daily in summer), and tip out anything cloudy.

The feeder. A shallow dish, a small bottle feeder or a commercial nectar feeder all work. Choose one you can take apart and scrub easily.

Do: fruit and (in winter) fat

• Fruit. Halved oranges, apples or pears, pinned to a branch or a nail on a fence post, attract tauhou, tūī and korimako. Wash the fruit, and remove it before it goes rotten.
• Fat, in cold weather. Tauhou in particular visit feeders more than any other New Zealand bird, and they love fat and lard in winter. A fat block or "bird pudding" gives them a high-energy boost on cold mornings. Keep it out of the sun and stop in warm weather, when fat goes rancid.
• Seed, with care. Seed mixes formulated for wild birds are fine, but they mostly attract introduced species such as house sparrows and finches. Spilled seed also draws rats and mice.

Don't: bread and kitchen scraps

Bread is the food most often put out for birds in New Zealand, and it is one of the worst. It fills birds up without the nutrients they need, which can leave them malnourished. It mostly attracts introduced species such as house sparrows, starlings, mynas and blackbirds, which then crowd out natives. Leftover bread and scraps also feed rats.

Skip the same list of human foods: bread, cake, crackers, pasta, rice, potato, cheese and anything salty or processed. At parks and ponds, the same applies to ducks and swans.

Where to put a feeder

• High and clear. The Garden Bird Survey team suggests mounting a feeding station more than 1.7 m off the ground, or hanging it from a sturdy branch, to keep it out of reach of cats and other predators.
• Open ground around it. Birds should be able to see a cat coming. Avoid placing feeders next to dense shrubs where a cat could wait.
• Mind the windows. Birds that flush suddenly from a feeder can fly into reflections. Keep feeders well away from large windows, or add decals or screens to the glass.
• Out of the wind and rain where possible, so food stays dry.

Keep it clean

Crowded feeders are good places for disease to spread from bird to bird. Hygiene matters more than any recipe.

1. Scrub feeders and dishes every few days, and every time you refill sugar water in hot weather. Hot soapy water and a bottle brush do the job. Rinse well.
2. Rotate two feeders, so one can dry fully while the other is in use.
3. Clear spilled food from the ground under the feeder.
4. Stop for a while if you see sick birds, such as birds that are fluffed up, lethargic or visibly unwell. Clean everything thoroughly and leave it empty for a couple of weeks so the birds disperse.
5. Wash your hands after handling feeders.

Do: water, all year

Fresh water is often more useful than food, especially in summer. Birds drink and bathe, and a clean bath helps them keep their feathers in good condition.

• Use a shallow dish, ideally with a sloping edge or a flat stone in the middle so small birds can stand.
• Change the water daily in summer and scrub the dish weekly. Still water can breed mosquitoes and grow algae.
• Raise it or give it a clear view. A pedestal bath in open ground is safer from cats than a dish on the lawn under a bush.
• Don't add anything to the water. No sugar, no salt, no chemicals.

Should you feed all year?

Many experienced garden birders feed mostly in late autumn and winter, when nectar and fruit are scarce, and ease off from spring, when natural food returns and birds are feeding insects to their chicks. Researchers also point out that heavy, year-round sugar feeding could make birds rely on handouts and help disease build up. A sensible approach is to feed modestly, keep everything clean, and let your plants do most of the work.

Quick do and don't list

Do	Don't
Weak sugar water, changed daily or every second day	Honey, which can spread bee disease
Fresh fruit halves, removed before they rot	Bread, cake and other human food
Fat blocks in cold weather	Fat in hot weather
Feeders over 1.7 m high, with open ground around them	Feeders next to dense shrubs where cats can hide
Clean, shallow water every day	Additives in the bird bath
Regular scrubbing with hot soapy water	Topping up dirty feeders

Feeding birds should be a pleasure, and a small one at that. A clean dish of sugar water on a winter morning, with a tūī shouldering a crowd of tauhou out of the way, is one of the best shows in a New Zealand garden. You can learn more about each regular visitor on NZ Birds Online's silvereye page and its neighbouring species pages.