Expert explains

Hungry winter guests: how to feed birds properly

Homemade bird feeders are pretty to look at, but they need special care.(Bild: Uta Rojsek-Wiedergut)

Can titmice, sparrows and blackbirds need help getting food during the cold season? "Yes", says biologist Matthias Karadar. But well-intentioned feeding can also be harmful. What advice the expert has - and what he warns against. 

Things are getting tighter for blackbirds, titmice and finches in their native habitats. For resident birds - which also remain in winter - there is little food in the neatly tidied landscape. "Targeted feeding makes sense," says biologist Matthias Karadar. The gardening specialist gives lectures on the subject at the Tyrolean Education Forum. You can do a lot of things wrong if you want to do something good for peeps - this quickly becomes clear when talking to the expert. However, if you follow a few rules, you can look forward to grateful guests in your garden, balcony or window.