THE RSPB is warning that cooked turkey fat is extremely dangerous to birds.

Many people put the leftover contents of Christmas dinner roasting tins outside, wrongly believing that it is as beneficial to birds as other fats like lard and suet.

They pour the fat on to bird tables or mix it with seed thinking it will give birds energy and nutrients.

But the wildlife charity is warning that it could actually kill them as it remains soft even when cooled, meaning it could smear on to birds’ feathers and ruin their water-proofing and insulating qualities.