Do birds eat Spindle berry fruit?

[tessnell]

I am clearing an area in order to create habitats suitable for birds. Does anyone know if birds eat the fruit/seeds of the Spindle tree? There are several on the plot and I want to know whether to keep them or not.
Thanks
tess

[nightshade]

Spindle is a very pretty shrub and worth keeping just for the white star like
flowers and later the red curiously shaped seeds which birds do eat although
they are poisonous to us
Hainault Forest Website

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by tessnell

I am clearing an area in order to create habitats suitable for birds. Does anyone know if birds eat the fruit/seeds of the Spindle tree? There are several on the plot and I want to know whether to keep them or not.
Thanks
tess

Yes keep them, I'm not certain how palatable the seeds are to birds, but this is one of the less common native shrubs - a species sometimes found in ancient hedgerows

[aeshna5]

Apart from it's ecological benefits it's worth keeping for some fine autumn colour as well as the decorative berries. Most often found on chalk, but not exclusively.

[wyevilla]

When establishing a wildlife hedge in a school I used to work at, Spindle was included for its seed, nectar and, as already mentioned, aesthetic value. It is becoming rarer and I would certainly consider keeping it in a designated wildlife garden.

[Paul mabbott]

Of major importance, the common spindle is a winter host of the black bean aphid, Aphis fabae, and therefore provides a very important winter and spring food resource for ladybirds such as Coccinella septempunctata.