What to feed UK wildlife

Since there are so many special species we want to protect here in the UK, it can be hard to know where to begin when offering food for them. 

Here’s our handy guide for what to feed UK wildlife…

Remember: Don’t put out any food that might be toxic to your dog or cat.

Birds

Feeding wild birds in the summer helps them overcome the challenges they face when the ground is dry, yet also helps in winter when they struggle to find food. Here are some safe options if you want to feed wild birds:

• Sunflower seeds.
• Millet seeds.
• Nyjer seeds.
• Apples.
• Pears.
• Cooked pasta.
• Boiled potatoes.
• Mild, grated cheese.
• Dried mealworms (soak in water before feeding during spring and summer).
• Crumbled, soaked bread (large pieces can be a choking hazard and mouldy bread is harmful to birds, so don’t leave it out for too long in hot weather).

Top tip: If you have a cat, or there are cats in your neighbourhood, please ensure any bird feeders are placed at a height, so birds don’t become prey! 

Hedgehogs

These special, spiny mammals are a welcome sight in UK gardens – especially since hedgehog numbers have fallen between 30% and 50% in the last two decades. If you’ve noticed hedgehogs visiting your garden, you could offer them:

• Plain kitten biscuits.
• Crushed cat biscuits.
• Meat-based wet cat food.
• Meat-based wet dog food.

Protect the food you’re leaving out for hedgehogs from being eaten by other animals, like cats, by creating your own hedgehog feeding station.  

Remember: Hedgehogs are lactose intolerant, so they should never be offered milk – water is always the best option for safe hedgehog hydration. 

Foxes

More and more foxes are choosing urban environments to call home, thanks to the abundance of food readily available with minimal effort. The following foods are safe to feed your fox friends:

• Boneless cooked meat.
• Raw meat.
• Meat-based wet cat food.
• Meat-based wet dog food.
• Cheese.
• Cooked vegetables.
• Fruit.

Remember: Enjoy garden fox visitors from a safe distance. We recommend feeding foxes at irregular days and times, to avoid them becoming too tame. Encouraging foxes to come too close to human activity or our beloved pets can cause them to encounter potentially dangerous situations, or make them unpopular with your human neighbours. 

Badgers

Should you ever spot one of these shy creatures in your garden, count yourself lucky! 

However, owing to the damage they can do to gardens, badgers might not be popular with all your human neighbours. If you do want to feed badgers, it’s worth letting your neighbours know before going ahead, and taking note of their concerns. 

Here are some badger-friendly foods you could offer whenever the ground is too dry for them to find enough food (e.g. earthworms):

• Cat biscuits.
• Meat-based wet cat food.
• Meat-based wet dog food.
• Apples.
• Pears.
• Plums. 

Don’t forget to wash your hands after putting food out for wildlife and cleaning their feeding stations!

Red squirrels

Thanks to their enchanting appearance, red squirrels wouldn’t be out of place in fairytales!   

If you live in Scotland, Ireland, North Wales, Isle of Wight, Brownsea Island, Isles of Scilly, Cumbria, Dorset, Northumberland or the Lake District, there’s a chance you’ll encounter red squirrels. Here are a few snacks these beautiful squirrels might appreciate when their usual food sources are difficult to find:

• Sunflower seeds.
• Pine nuts.
• Hazelnuts (in their shells).
• Coconut.
• Apples.
• Carrots.
• Cuttlefish bone (for calcium – which is especially important in the summer).

Grey squirrels

While the grey squirrel may not be everyone’s favourite garden visitor, they still need nourishment, too. In case you’d like to support your neighbourhood squirrel throughout the year, they enjoy eating:

• Chopped apples.
• Carrots.
• Green beans.
• Celery.
• Dried banana pieces.
• Pumpkin seeds.

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