To feed or not to feed wild birds?

You might say the answer to this question depends on where you live, Australia or almost anywhere else in the world!

In Australia, WIRES (Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service), (LINK) says, “Artificial feeding is not necessary. Native birds do not need extra food as they are well adapted to their environment and will be much healthier and happier overall if left to eat only their normal diet.”

In the UK, Songbird Survival, (LINK) says, “You can feed your birds by offering a range of feeding sources. Do this with your planting, garden structures and supplementary foods.”

In Australia, DELWP, (LINK) says, “Native animals have adapted to a particular diet over many years and altering or supplementing their diets with foods that they wouldn't otherwise eat, or by increasing quantities of some foods, can have negative effects on their health.”

In the USA, the Humane Society, (LINK) says, “One of the best ways to enjoy wildlife in the comfort of your home is to watch birds at a feeder.” Some authourities in the US advise that the annual migration of hummingbirds is only achieved by supplementary feeding.

In the USA, migrating Hummingbirds are often fed supplementary nectar

Some individuals and some groups get very animated over the subject of feeding wild birds with supplementary food. Sometimes it is implied that in Australia, it is illegal to feed wild birds – not true.

Many shires have signs, particularly near wetlands, that state, “Please do not feed the ducks”. In particular circumstances this is good advice. A popular local park or wetland where people gather in large numbers at various times of the day can mean that un-monitored feeding or feeding of inappropriate foods can be a significant issue.

It is not unusual to see families gather beside a lake with bags of bread for the ducks. Here’s a worthy article on feeding bread to birds (LINK). Some sites say all bread is bad for all birds, others say some breads are okay for some birds. Here’s a site that suggests putting peanut butter on some bread makes it more nutritional for the bird!

Confused? You have every right to be.

Birdlife Australia, the principal body for the conservation of Australian birds advises, “If you are going to feed birds, you should be aware of potential problems and consider how you can minimise the risk of harming the wildlife you want to help.”

Eastern Rosellas can be readily attracted to a seed bowl

The Birdlife Australia fact sheet ‘Guidelines for Wild Bird Feeding’, (LINK) gives some excellent recommendations that are easy to follow.

Grey Butcherbirds enjoy some cat meat or grated cheese

If you are still confused and want to attract wild birds to your backyard, try following these three steps: provide a water bowl; plant native or indigenous shrubs and trees; LOCK UP YOUR CAT.

A personal anecdote: I recall an incident one time when I came across three elderly gentlemen standing beside a sign near a lake. The sign read, ‘Please do not feed the ducks’ and it even gave some very good reasons why not to do so. Each of the gentlemen had a small bag of bread they were throwing onto the water for the birds. I approached them and said, “Excuse me gents, can you read that sign there beside you?” One of the gentlemen slowly turned to read the sign, then looked over his glasses at me and replied, “Yep, sure can. Would you like me to help you to read it?” Me and my camera slunk speechlessly away.