A few of the latest added red-listed species are regarded as common garden birds, like the greenfinch. Others, like the house martin or swift, are only seen in the spring and summer months in the UK before heading to warmer climates. However, the environment they are exposed to in the UK, as well as on their migration routes, impacts their lives in a significant way.

Many of the species we eat in our gardens and our balconies are at risk. Here are four strategies to assist them.

Clean up your bird baths and bird feeders

The wild is where they live, and with only a few exceptions, such as starlings, birds aren’t brought in close proximity with one the other too often. The lack of contact makes it difficult for illnesses to be spread.

Bird feeders alter this dynamic. Being near a feeder for birds signifies that birds from different species are fed in the same place. This causes the spread of diseases due to the fact that birds usually go to the place where they eat, allowing pathogens that could spread to other visitors.

The greenfinch, a popular bird of the garden that is now on this list as red, has been suffering because of this. This disease, trichomonosis, was previously thought to be confined to pigeons but not doves, but is now spreading to greenfinches and has deadly effects. Regularly cleaning your bird feeders in your garden and bird baths can help reduce the risk of contracting this disease.

Many people assist birds by placing nesting boxes in their backyards. However, these boxes are usually intended for tits and robins that nest in open containers or those with tiny holes. Nest boxes are designed to mimic the crevices and gaps that could be found in mature trees.

Swifts, as well as house martins, are brand new additions to the red list, and both will be able to nest with artificial nesting sites when we give them a few adjustments to meet their requirements.

House martins can be nested in a ready-made or homemade nesting cup that mimics the mud nests that house martins build for themselves.

Swifts can nest inside boxes. However, they need some effort to draw. The most effective method to accomplish this is to make a loud, squealing call through a speaker that is placed near the nest box to make them look around and eventually make a.

Nest boxes can be created to appeal to the birds by placing them at the top of the roofline in your house because they require them to be elevated so that they can fly away from them quickly.

Incorporate some plants that are beneficial to insects.

A lot of the species that are on the list of red species, including the house martin as well as the house sparrow, eat insects. The number of insects has fallen quickly, and it’s no surprise that these bird-like predators are struggling to eat their chicks as well as themselves.

It is possible that you would enjoy a neat and tidy garden or your balcony, but you should make sure to leave a space a little messy and weedier to draw insects. The addition of flowers that are pollinator-friendly, like sedum, foxglove, and lavender, can really increase the number of insects – a natural food for birds – within your yard.

Reduce risks for birds.

Cats are prey and are able to be a target for species such as house sparrows, which are on the Red List. Cats’ presence might be enough to alarm birds, which could reduce the number of children they attain. This could have a negative impact on the bird population than the amount that birds are killed due to cats.

Cats are predators, and their presence impacts the population of birds. Lilly P. Green/Shutterstock

If you are the owner of cats, there are methods to minimize the impact it has on bird populations. A collar that has bells is a great method to alert the birds and other animals of the presence of cats.

Furthermore, you should consider limiting when cats are allowed to go out only during the daytime since cats are more susceptible at the beginning of the day when they awake and begin to search for food. Or, you can confine cats to a room. It is commonplace in Australia as well as the US that cats be kept inside.

The changes might seem minor, and your backyard or outdoor space might not seem huge. However, gardening areas in the UK encompass more land than all our nature reserves combined. The encouragement of wildlife in these gardens can make a huge impact.