Winter bird food on arable and horticultural land (updated for SFI26)

What you must do

You must establish a winter bird food mix as a block or strip on land entered into this action. You must use a seed mix which includes at least 6 small seed-bearing crops, which are suitable for smaller farmland bird species. The mix must not include: artichokes reed canary grass giant and intermediate sorghum maize miscanthus sweet clover tic beans If you sow an annual mix, it can include a range of cereals, brassicas or other small-seeded crops. If you sow a 2-year mix, it can also include biennial crops such as kale, stubble turnip or teasel. Once the winter bird food mix block or strip is established, you must maintain it. To do this, you must manage it in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim. You must re-establish a 1-year mix annually and 2-year mixes every other year, so they continue to produce an extended supply of small seeds. This can be at the same location or a different location. You must not use the winter bird food mix block or strip for regular vehicular access, turning or storage (for example, storing bales or machinery). You can maintain an existing winter bird food mix block or strip to get paid for this action, if it: meets this action’s requirements is not already being paid for under another environmental land management scheme option, such as CS option AB9 (winter bird food)

When to do it

You must: establish the winter bird food mix block or strip in time for it to flower in the first summer after sowing (usually this means by the end of June) maintain the mix at the same location until late winter (usually around the end of February) in the year after it was sown (for 1-year mixes) or the following year (for 2-year mixes) If this action’s start date means it’s too late to establish the winter bird food mix, you must establish it within 12 months of your action’s start date. If you establish the winter bird food mix block or strip after the end of June, you must maintain it at the same location for 2 consecutive winters in order to achieve this action’s aim. In the final year of this action’s duration, you must do this action either until late winter, or this action’s end date, whichever is earlier.

Evidence to keep

You must keep evidence to show what you’ve done to complete this action, such as: field operations at a land parcel level and associated invoices, including details of the seed mix used photographs or other documentation If it’s not clear that you’ve done this action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve its aim, we may ask for this evidence. You must supply the evidence if we ask for it.

SFI26 actions v2.0, updated 7 July 2026 — verified 1 Aug 2026. Open official guidance