Birds face starvation in the Big Feeze

by Natalie Evans. Published Sat 09 Jan 2010 07:34

As the Big Freeze continues experts are warning that millions of birds are facing death becasue of scarce food supplies decimate the population.

Snow covered gardens and frozen ponds have left many birds without food which has prompted the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to urge local people to put out supples of food and fresh water.

RSPB’s director of conservation, Dr Mark Avery, said: "During freezing conditions birds use far more energy than usual keeping warm, so they have to spend more time fattening themselves up.

"If they can’t find sufficient food to replace their energy levels then these birds are existing on borrowed time."

Wetland birds such as ducks, geese and swans, are also in danger.

Staff at Martin Mere Wetland Centre, in Fish Lane, Burscough, have reported an influx of 1000 extra swans which have migrated from as far as Iceland and Russia to escape the cold weather.

Centre Manager, Andy Wooldridge, said: "With the extra birds we are feeding around 1500-2000 swans and several thousand ducks.

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