Have you spotted birds in your garden, and wanted to offer them some food, but you were not sure what to feed them?

Birdlife Southern Highlands liaison and conservation officer Christine Kelly said if you wanted to feed some birds, cleanliness and establishing a regular routine must be prioritised.

"If you were going to feed them in the garden, it would be best to put food out at one time for an hour, then it should be removed," she said.

"Make sure it has not been left it out for days on end, and make sure you put it out at the same time everyday."

She also said that seed and water should also be changed regularly.

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Mrs Kelly also suggested that residents could create a "two-tiered" feeding system, because different sized birds might be attracted to someone's garden.

"You could have some food in mesh for the smaller birds to reach into," she said.

According to BirdLife, birds could spread diseases if feeders were not cleaned on a regular basis.

Mrs Kelly also explained that not all food would be suitable for all birds.

"Small quantities of fresh fruit would cater for fruit and nectar eaters such as doves, parrots, pigeons and bowerbirds," she began.

BirdLife's guidelines for feeding wild birds also mentioned that a wet or dry nectar mix was suitable for parrots and honeyeaters, but spoiled quickly.

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"Dried dog pellets would be suitable for bigger birds such as magpies, ravens, crows, Butcherbirds and currawongs," Mrs Kelly continued.

The guidelines also stated that mince meat and honey and water mixes should be off limits.

Mince does not provide the appropriate nutrients for carnivorous birds that they could obtain from insects, and other parts of small mammals.

The lack of calcium could also lead to younger birds having brittle bones.

Mince could also cause bacterial infections when it gets stuck to beaks of birds such as Kookaburras and Tawny Frogmouths.

Their guidelines outlined that honey and water does not offer the "complex sugars" birds obtained from the nectar of flowers.

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Bread also has no nutritious value and could stick to bird's bills.

Mrs Kelly said that another sufficient way to attract native birds to the garden would be to provide clean water in a suitable container.

She also said that you could plant suitable vegetation that would provide sources of food and shelter, and would encourage other native fauna.

Bird and nature lovers could also learn more about how to make their green spaces at home bird-friendly through BirdLife, and learn more about birds at home at birdsinbackyards.net.

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