House sparrows are one of the UK’s most popular garden birds, and they're absolutely adorable to watch. If you’re wondering how to attract sparrows to your garden at this time of the year, two simple offerings could turn your garden into a hotspot.
Knowing what to feed birds in a garden largely depends on the season, and as we race towards summer, we need to make sure we’re giving sparrows the nutrients they need to raise strong chicks.
Here’s how to attract sparrows to your garden.
What you'll need
A one-litre bucket of dried mealworms, which sparrows love!
1. Feed them protein
House sparrows will eat a diverse range of food, from small insects to sunflower hearts – but as per the RSPB’s latest bird feeding guidance, we shouldn’t be feeding them seed mixes right now.
Luckily, there are plenty of other things you can feed sparrows at this time of the year.
‘House sparrows will happily take suet and mealworms from your feeders, which can be provided all year round,’ says Charlotte Ambrose from the RSPB’s wildlife team.
In fact, protein-rich food sources have more benefits than seeds as summer approaches.
‘During summer, house sparrows really appreciate live mealworms, as they feed their chicks on protein-rich insects, which offer the protein and moisture they need for rapid growth,’ explains Sean McMenemy, wildlife expert and founder of Ark Wildlife.
Dried mealworms are a good alternative to live mealworms (especially if you’re squeamish!). You can buy a bag of premium dried mealworms from Amazon.
As Charlotte mentioned, suet is also a solid year-round option. She recommends nibbles, cakes or fatballs, which you can serve in this Johnston & Jeff New Orleans Fatball Feeder from Amazon.
2. Plant their food
Just because we can’t feed sparrows seeds right now, it doesn’t mean our plants can’t. Choosing plants that birds love (especially those that produce seeds) is actually one of the best ways to attract sparrows to your garden.
‘You can help house sparrows by planting a mixture of plants that they will mine the seeds of, such as verbena and coneflowers,’ suggests Charlotte from the RSPB.
It’s also worth planting the perennials that attract their prey.
‘Plant aphid-attracting plants such as honeysuckles, spindle and the wild cherry tree,’ says Charlotte.
It’s also worth buying the right bird box for sparrows to give them nesting space. Sean recommends a specialised sparrow terrace next box, like this Oakham Sparrow Terrace Nest Box from Thompson & Morgan.
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