Bread is not a good food for birds, says the The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). Birds fill up after eating bread, and yet it apparently offers them little nutritional value.

Grated cheese, breakfast cereals, leftover jacket potato and cake are much better options for birds, according to the (RSPB), which also recommends porridge oats, overripe strawberries, pastry and cooked rice.

Val Osborne, the RSPB’s head of wildlife inquiries, said: 'Bread doesn’t actually contain any of the vital ingredients to provide birds with the energy they need to breed and feed. The RSPB is asking people to consider alternatives such as porridge oats, cake crumbs and potatoes.'

Breads containing seeds are marginally better for birds, but not much. Seed cake and fruit loaf are also slightly better for birds than Victoria sponge.

The RSPB says that bread is not a good food for birds as it fills them up but offers them little nutritional value. The RSPB's Homes for Wildlife page offers further advice about helping wildlife and birds in your garden.

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