Chip-cuterie boards are the cutest bird feeding trend taking over social media – how to do it safely, according to wildlife experts

Charcuterie boards have been the defining catering trend of this year, and now TikTok has taken to making ‘chirp-cuterie’ boards for the feathered friends that visit their garden - and this is how you can make one, too.

Attracting birds is an important part of any flourishing wildlife garden, but now you can make it fun, as chirp-cuterie boards are all about giving your garden birds a delicious summer treat.

Chirp-cuterie boards use flat feed tables, which have been linked to the spread of trichomonosis, a disease which can be fatal to birds. However, a wildlife expert has revealed how to create a chirp-cuterie board safely, without posing a risk to your garden birds. Here’s how.

What are chirp-cuterie boards

Chirp-cuterie boards have been gaining traction on TikTok, popularised by the creator @thechirpcorner. Here she adorns a feeder tray (such as this £27.99 feeder tray at Robert Dyas) with tasty treats for birds.

Arranging as you would a charcuterie board. The Chirp Corner adds bird seed (£16.99 at Amazon), fresh fruit and fat balls (£15 at Amazon) in a pretty pattern for the garden birds that visit.

‘Who doesn’t love a picky-bits charcuterie board - it’s full of all your favourite things - so making a charcuterie board for birds is a perfect way to entice birds into your garden. They’re trending because they’re fun, creative - and when done correctly - extremely beneficial for our bird populations,’ says James Ewens, gardening expert at Green Feathers.

‘They add visual joy to your garden, while also encouraging wildlife populations and increasing biodiversity, what’s not to love? By arranging nuts, fruit, seeds, and suet on a wooden platter, as you would a charcuterie board for humans, gardeners are attracting a variety of bird species.’

How to make a chirp-cuterie board

What you need

When done well, chirp-cuterie boards are incredibly beneficial to your garden birds as they offer such a wide variety of different nutrients for your garden birds, which, given that it’s currently nesting season, can give them the extra boost of healthy fats, vitamins and minerals that they need.

‘First, choose a platter that is non-porous, like coated wood, and place it at ground level or near to ground level so the birds can access it easily. Unsalted peanuts, sunflower hearts and black-striped seeds are options for your board to give birds energy and healthy fats - they’re popular favourites amongst birds,’ says James.

‘You can add soft, easy-to-eat fruit like apples, pears or berries, which not only stand out and are visual for birds, but provide natural sugars, vitamins and minerals essential for their health.

‘Adding native botanical plants and flowers not only looks aesthetically pleasing, but is very beneficial for bird populations, too. So, go crazy, add holly sprigs, elderberries, and honeysuckle to lure bird species and mimic natural forage.’

Safety warning

At present, the RSPB has suspended sales of its flat feeder tables due to fears that they can contribute to the spread of trichomonosis.

‘Some of our products have been removed as we are currently reviewing the latest scientific research on best practices for feeding garden birds to make sure our products are as safe as possible, and this is a precautionary measure while we await the results,’ a spokesperson for The RSPB said.

‘Some of our bird feeding products have been suspended from our retail stores and online shops. These are the products most closely associated with accumulating dropped bird food.

'We do not want to pre-empt the findings of our review, but have taken the measure as a precaution. Some of our Bird tables (and feeders in which food is presented in an open flat tray) allow different bird species and individuals to mix in close proximity to one another and to share dropped food. They also allow food to become damp and contaminated by bird droppings. These are potential risk factors for disease transmission.

‘At present, our advice is to maintain regular bird bath and feeder hygiene, and withdraw feeding if there are signs of illness.’

If you want to join the trend, then knowing how to clean your bird feeder and keeping up to date with it is vital, as well as knowing the signs of disease.

‘It’s important to be able to identify birds with trichomonosis where possible, and be able to spot the signs. This could look like puffed-up birds that are larger than normal, fluffed-up feathers, or beak discharge. If you spot a diseased bird, you can immediately take away the bird feeder or chirp-cuterie board for at least a couple of weeks,’ says James.

‘Clean your board daily, keeping the components of your feast as fresh as possible to avoid contamination. It’s also recommended to ‘deep clean’ your chirp-cuterie board once a week with disinfectant, rinsing it thoroughly, then allowing it to air dry before re-making your marvellous creation.

'Moving your board will help too, you can keep rotating your chirp-cuterie board periodically to reduce and prevent germs and bacteria building up on the ground.’

Will you try out this cute trend?