As starling numbers fall to record lows in the UK, gardeners have been urged to feed them four specific food scraps to help them thrive. According to the 2025 RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch, fewer starlings than ever have been spotted by UK bird watchers.
Almost 600,000 survey participants across the UK noted which birds were spotted most frequently across the country. In a troubling report, starlings have now fallen out of the top three most commonly spotted birds. One of Britain’s most majestic creatures, starlings are easily distinguished by their dark, incandescent plumage and range of tonal bird calls. However, if certain steps aren’t taken to protect them, their numbers could plummet.
Across the UK, bird numbers have dropped significantly over the past few decades. In fact, there has been a staggering 16% drop across all bird species in the UK since 1970, according to government data.
One of the most notable reasons for this is the loss in natural habitat due to farming practices. This includes the overuse of pesticides, which causes harm to birds and which ravages their natural food supply.
A great way to counteract this is by leaving them out food in bird feeders or on bird tables. Birds generally enjoy food with a high fat content, such as suet, nuts and seeds.
However, certain species, like starlings, take a particular liking to specific food scraps. A bird enthusiast has revealed that if you’re looking to attract more starlings to your garden, then you should take care to feed them mealworms, currents, sultanas and raisins.
In a RSPB forum, one person wondered how to encourage starlings to keep returning to their vicinity. They wrote: “I see [starlings] at my garden feeder and would like to encourage them to come back next year. any tips on what I can do to encourage them back, what do they like to eat etc?”
A commenter quickly replied: “They…like dried mealworms and currents / raisins / sultanas.” Although, they added that these foods are “best served in a suspended dish with a cover so that they are not taken by pigeons.”
Mealworms are starling favourites as they contain high amounts of protein. This is incredibly important, especially during breeding season, as it encourages healthy growth.
Meanwhile, dried fruits like sultanas and currents also make important food sources, as they provide much-needed vitamins and minerals. Plus, they have a naturally sweet taste, which starlings love.
The commenter also suggested that starling fans could make ‘raw bird pastry’, which they described as the “cheapest form of bird food available”. This consists of combining two parts flour with one part lard.
Starlings enjoy this mix as it contains a high fat content, which sustains them through the unpredictable springtime weather. The goopy texture of raw pastry is also appealing to them.
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