Could your kitchen scraps be on tonight's menu for garden birds?

From breadcrumbs to bacon rind, kitchen scraps have long been left out for garden birds, particularly in winter. These days, thanks, in part, to the multi-million pound bird feeding industry, we gardeners tend to leave out bespoke items such as peanuts, sunflower hearts and suet treats for birds instead, which are often tailored for specific species or specific benefits such as calories or protein.

Bespoke bird food can be expensive, however, and comes with its own issues: studies have shown that bird feeding stations can help spread diseases such as trichonomosis and avian pox, while – depending on the supplier and where it's grown – the bird food may contain pesticide residues or may have been grown on land that has taken habitat away from other birds that need a wilder habitat. What's more, feeding garden birds regularly can give advantages to more dominant species like great spotted woodpecker and great tit over subordinate species like marsh tit and willow tit. Indeed, great tits increased by 77 percent from 1967 to 2023, while marsh tits declined by 81 per cent in the same period – regular bird feeding is thought to have contributed to this.

A return to leaving out kitchen scraps could save you money and reduce the likelihood of birds congregating in one small area, which spreads disease. Leaving a few small morsels out in different parts of the garden, as and when you have them, will help reduce birds' reliance on bird feeders, and help them feed more naturally. Couple this with more natural features such as fruiting trees, native caterpillar foodplants and seedheads, and you'll offer birds a cornucopia of natural sustenance, topped up occasionally by the odd kitchen scrap.

Which kitchen scraps to feed birds

Small amounts of bread, cereals, meat, fat (but not turkey fat) and things like grated cheese and cooked rice can be left out for birds, but only in small measures. Dot them around the garden and consider leaving some in small piles at the back of the border for winter migrants that may not be as used to human activity as residents.

Avoid food containing high levels of salt and sugar, and make sure items like rice are cooked as otherwise they may swell in a bird's stomach.

Dried fruit such as raisins and sultanas can be used, but make sure you soak them first to hydrate them, or they will expand in the bird's stomach. Don't use raisins and sultanas if you have a dog – even a small quantity can be highly toxic or even fatal to them.

Halved apples are an excellent source of winter food for thrushes and blackbirds, as well as unusual winter visitors such as waxwings. You can leave these on the ground or spear them on to tree branches for birds to find naturally.