ORNITHOLOIGISTS are urging gardeners to plant shrubs and trees which produce berries, a key food source for wild birds in the winter.

Although millions of people feed their garden birds with food scraps and huge numbers buy seeds, nuts and corn especially for that purpose, berries make an important additional source of important nutrients, says the British Trust for Ornithology.

Bushes also provide seeds and nesting sites and to hep gardeners with advice, the BTO Garden BirdWatch team has produced a special guide for gardeners which includes information best shrubs to plant with birds in mind.

Plants for Birds, which would make an ideal free stocking filler this Christmas, can be requested by sending address details to GBW Plant Guide, BTO, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU, by telephoning 01842-750050 or by emailing gbw@bto.org.