Feeding garden birds in Brighton

Ask around Brighton and most people describe the same problem: they hang a feeder, nothing comes, and it is quietly forgotten by March. Birds in East Sussex are not short of options in autumn, so an untouched feeder usually means it has been up for days rather than weeks, or it is sitting somewhere a small bird has no safe way to approach.

Birds build a routine around a feeder, which is why consistency beats generosity. A feeder that is full every morning gets built into a daily circuit; one that is refilled when somebody remembers gets dropped from it. It is better to run one small feeder you top up reliably than three large ones that stand empty for a week at a time.

Brighton's pier roost is one of the best known starling murmurations in Britain, and the same birds feed in town gardens by day.

Brighton at a glance

Brighton, verified

Real places, with the distance measured from the city centre. We are an online shop, not a branch in Brighton.

NationEngland

RegionEast Sussex

PostcodesBN postcode area

Nearest reservethe South Downs

Also coversHove, Worthing, Lewes, Shoreham-by-Sea, Newhaven, Burgess Hill

What should I feed garden birds in Brighton?

The mix matters less in Brighton than where it hangs. Sunflower hearts cover most species, peanuts bring the tit family and suet carries them through cold weather. Site it near cover, put a tray underneath to catch husks, keep water available, and clean the ports every fortnight.

Wash feeders in hot soapy water every fortnight and dry before refilling
Put feeders under a metre from glass, or over three metres from it
Keep water out all year, shallow at the edge and topped up in frost
Give it two to three weeks before deciding a feeder is not working
Add a low tray or table for robins, blackbirds and dunnocks

Starling around Brighton

Brighton's pier roost is one of the best known starling murmurations in Britain, and the same birds feed in town gardens by day.

The bath is half the job

Moving water is a genuine draw. The sound and glint carry much further than a still dish, which is why a solar fountain sitting in a shallow bath brings birds in from further off on a bright day. It also keeps the surface from stagnating, which is the usual reason a bath stops being used by midsummer.

The fortnightly wash

Do not let old food sit. Wet seed cakes into the base of a tube and goes mouldy long before it looks obviously wrong, and fat products soften and go rancid in warm weather. Fill feeders no more than a few days at a time in summer, which keeps everything fresh and makes the cleaning routine easier to stick to.

When to feed in Brighton

Do not stop in spring. There is an old idea that feeding should end once the weather warms, and it is simply wrong: adults raising a brood are working at their limit, and sunflower hearts, suet and live or dried mealworms all help. Whole peanuts are the one thing worth pulling in the nesting weeks, or offering only in a mesh feeder.

Our pick

What we would put up first in a Brighton garden

Window Feeders — vertical space is what a small garden or yard actually has
Bird Tables — an open surface suits the ground feeders a tube shuts out
Standing & Pedestal Baths — a raised bath keeps drinking birds clear of cats

Where to start

Window Feeders

Bird FeedersOur Clear Window Bird Feeder

£10.99

Bird FeedersClear Window Bird Feeder

£12.99

See the full window feeders range

Common questions

Feeding birds in Brighton

How do I stop squirrels emptying the feeder?

A caged feeder is the reliable answer: small birds pass through the mesh and squirrels cannot. A pole with a baffle also works, as long as the pole stands well clear of fences, walls and overhanging branches, because a squirrel will happily jump a couple of metres to reach it.

How often should feeders be cleaned?

Every fortnight as a habit, and sooner if the food is damp or the ports look dirty. Feeders concentrate a lot of birds onto a few surfaces, which is how disease spreads through finch flocks in particular. Hot soapy water, a proper rinse and a full dry before refilling is all it takes.

Which birds am I most likely to see in Brighton?

Blue tits, great tits, robins, blackbirds, house sparrows, starlings, goldfinches and woodpigeons make up the bulk of it in most gardens. What varies is what turns up beyond that list, and around Brighton the starling is the one worth watching for.

Also covering

Brighton and the surrounding towns — Hove, Worthing, Lewes, Shoreham-by-Sea, Newhaven, Burgess Hill. Delivery and returns are the same wherever you are in England.