Gardeners are being urged to scatter rice on bird tables this spring in a bid to help ailing birds out during the vital nesting and breeding season.

The next few months are the single most important time of year for British birds, with most species making nests, breeding and raising their young in our gardens the months between March and June. Many bird species are under threat thanks to habitat loss, reductions in food such as the drop in insect numbers, as well as climate change and pollution. That’s why gardeners are being urged to do what they can to help birds out by providing food for them, which in turn will help birds feed their young too. But you don’t need to buy posh bird seeds from garden centres. 

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds says that pastry, cooked rice and breadcrumbs can all be used to feed birds occasionally, alongside other items like apples, pears, and seeds and nuts.

The RSPB says: "When buying bird food, try to get a good mix of seed, peanuts, suet and mealworms.

"Fruit, especially bruised apples and pears, will be popular with thrushes and Blackbirds.

"Household scraps like pastry, cooked rice and breadcrumbs should only be offered in small amounts occasionally."

Of course it’s important to cook the rice first, as uncooked rice can cause digestive issues in birds, which is one of the reasons throwing rice at weddings fell out of popularity. So always use cooked rice, never raw.

You also need to clean your bird table regularly and clean up any uneaten food.

Whatever you leave out, be sure to clear away any uneaten food at the end of the day, and clean any bird table regularly.

This is because the RSPB recently pulled flat bird tables from sale while it investigates the possible spread of disease it says could be caused by flat tables, due to food being left out exposed to the elements.

It recommends cleaning bird tables, as well as nesting boxes, regularly and removing any uneaten food.