Is It Bad to Feed Birds?

Daily News-Record, December 5, 2022

Even as a little girl, I was enthralled by the natural world. Therefore, I was absolutely thrilled to receive a bird feeder one Christmas. Back then, feeding birds was not at all controversial, but nowadays, it is.

For example, some ornithologists express concern about diseases spreading at crowded feeders. However, this result is only likely to happen when feeders are not kept clean of fecal droppings or wet food that has begun to mold. Feeders should not be allowed to stay soiled or to contain rotting (decaying) food.

If you are conscientious about maintaining your feeders in tip-top form and yet you still see a sick bird, should you feel guilty? No. In the real world, weak animals, whether due to injury or lack of food, become ill. Sick birds may find your feeders where it’s easier for them to obtain food without expending much energy.

Such birds may even die at your feeders. But instead of feeling guilt-ridden, throw the remaining seed onto your compost pile or into your compost bin and cover it with some soil to hide it from critters. It will safely decompose.

Then, thoroughly wash your feeder. Disinfect it by dipping the feeder for two to three minutes into a mixture composed of one part bleach and nine parts water. Let the feeder dry completely in the sunshine before refilling it.

Some researchers worry about hawks being able to more easily prey upon birds bunched together in feeding areas. To avoid making your feeder birds “sitting ducks”, be sure to place shelter about ten feet from your feeders. Thickly branched small trees or shrubs, or piles of brush are ideal. It’s best not to grow plants too close to the feeders so wandering neighborhood cats can’t hide there to catch and kill birds coming to eat.

And some scientists worry that feeders help cause window collisions. However, birds do not necessarily hit windows because they’ve been at your feeders. I’ve had Red-eyed Vireos and even a Yellow-billed Cuckoo—both birds of the woods that eat insects and are not often seen in open yards—hit my porch windows that are under cover of a roof.

I now keep most of my curtains and blinds closed unless I’m using a room. I have seen a big drop in birds flying into my windows since I began doing this, so I do believe this action has helped to minimize reflections of the trees around my house, which is what causes birds to fly into the glass. I’ve also found that full-length window-screen fabric mesh outside of windows help prevent birds from getting injured or killed.

A great resource with many suggestions on how to minimize window-caused bird deaths is available from the American Bird Conservancy at https://abcbirds.org/glass-collisions/stop-birds-hitting-windows/

So, whether you wish to treat yourself to a new bird feeder or to purchase one as a holiday gift for someone else this month, I hope you’ll do so. It’s a wonderful activity for bringing nature closer. Happy holidays!Marlene A. Condon is the author/photographer of The Nature-friendly Garden: Creating a Backyard Haven for Plants, Wildlife, and People (Stackpole Books; information at www.marlenecondon.com). You can read her blog at https://InDefenseofNature.blogspot.com