Give birds a helping wing this Christmas.

That's the plea from RSPB South West, who are asking the public to provide food, water and shelter for garden birds throughout the colder winter months.

Morwenna Alldis, spokesperson for the RSPB South West, offered some top tips on how to give your garden birds a home this Christmas.

She said: "As temperatures start to drop our garden birds need a helping hand finding food, water and shelter. During the colder months birds need a lot of energy just to maintain their body temperature, so it’s important to feed them foods that are high in fat, such as sunflower seeds, peanuts or fat-based food bars. If these fatty foods come in a mesh sacking, be sure to remove them from the netting and place them into a feeder or directly onto a bird table - birds can become trapped and injured by getting caught on the mesh."

People should monitor how much food their garden birds eat and adjust the amount you put out according to their appetites – a build-up of uneaten food in or around feeders and tables can quickly turn rancid, so regularly discard any leftovers. During cold weather it’s a good idea to feed twice a day (if demand calls for it), once in the morning and again early afternoon.

Morwenna added: "Make sure that you also provide daily fresh water for your garden birds in a birdbath, pond or even a recycled, shallow container with a stone inside so that they can perch - birds need this to drink and bathe. During winter your garden water becomes even more important as natural sources can freeze. Ensure that you regularly check your bird baths during the colder weather, in case a sudden frost causes the surface of your water to freeze, making it inaccessible for birds. If your garden water has frozen, pour hot water over the surface to melt it – but be careful when doing this, we don’t want you scorching your own wings!"

Autumn/winter is the perfect time to install a nestbox in your garden. Birds can investigate the box now, before nesting season begins in the spring. And you may even find that some birds use the box as a winter roost - valuable shelter from blustery weather.