If you’re visiting this page you probably love feeding birds. You’re certainly not alone. It’s been estimated that around 40% of Americans regularly feed birds and that number might be as high as 75% in the UK. Have you ever wondered if all this human intervention could be a bad thing? Is it harmful to feed backyard birds?
Truthfully, it can be. There are some ways in which human provided food can have negative effects. But don’t take down your backyard feeder yet! There is still a lot of research that needs to be done on the effects of backyard bird feeding, but most studies show that overall the result is very positive. In the areas that have been identified to be negative, there are things you can do to help prevent bad outcomes.
Let’s look at some of these potential problems, and how we can minimize them.
Diseases
Providing a backyard feeder will attract many species of birds. In the wild, these species may not have had much interaction with each other, or have congregated in large numbers frequently. Bird feeders create a real hub of activity, and this can lead to spreading of parasites, bacteria and viruses.
Daniel Becker and his team at the University of Georgia’s school of Ecology found in their research that bird feeders have contributed to outbreaks of both House Finch Eye disease and Trichomoniasis. A separate three year study in Illinois found that birds using feeders had higher incidence of conjunctivitis, pox, dermal disease or cloacal disease. Disease is perhaps one of the biggest negatives to backyard bird feeding. Interestingly enough though, that same Illinois study found that the birds who had been visiting feeders had better overall health and better immune systems to cope with the diseases. By keeping your feeders clean, you can greatly help increase the benefits and decrease the harm of feeders.
Keep feeders clean to avoid spreading disease
Keeping your bird feeders clean and sanitized is the best way to prevent the spread of unwanted diseases. Feeders should be soaked and scrubbed with a 10% bleach solution a few times a year. At the start of each season is an easy time to remember to do this. Or, if you only feed during certain seasons, make sure to sanitize your feeders before you put them back out.
Another problem area is mounds of unused seeds and shells that collect under feeders and can become soggy breeding grounds for bacteria and other nasties.
- If you feed on the ground only, consider buying a well draining platform feeder instead
- Try feeding only one type of seed per feeder. For example one feeder of just sunflower seeds, another feeder of just safflower, etc. This will cut down waste from filler seeds like milo that will get tossed to the ground. It can also potentially make for less interaction of species that prefer different seeds.
- Use a “no waste” seed mix such as Lyric Fine Tunes.
Window Strikes
According to the American Bird Association, up to one billion birds are killed in collisions with glass in the U.S. each year. This includes large office buildings on their migration path so it isn’t related entirely to just backyard feeders, but they certainly play a part.
A general rule of thumb is to place your feeders either within 3 feet of a window or over 30 ft away from a window, to minimize chances of bird strike. However the experts say that using some type of window marker is really the best way to prevent this.
To start, you can try some inexpensive UV Bird Alert window decals. The closer together you place them, the more effective they will be. If window strikes are still a problem for you, you may need full window markings or shades. For more window film and shade options check out