Feed The Birds in Winter - Yes or No?
Birds need our help, especially in winter. They are facing massive declines from habitat loss, climate change, and pesticide use, as well as Avian Flu and finch diseases. Add to that the scarcity of food in winter, and you have a bleak picture. If we put out feeders, though, aren’t we encouraging the spread of bird diseases?
It’s a good question.
Diseases spread quickly among birds that tend to congregate. Have you ever fed ducks or pigeons? They literally climb over each other to get at the food. Chicken and other poultry farms are at an extremely high risk of disease spread for that reason, so if you live close to one, you don’t want to attract wild birds to your yard.
Otherwise, Environment Canada says feeders are safe so long as they are kept clean. The type of feeder you use can help reduce the risk further. Platform feeders encourage a lot of birds to feed at one time, and result in much of the food falling to the ground, where smaller birds fight over it. Try a tube feeder to reduce the congestion, or any feeder that only allows two or three birds to feed at a time.
As for what to put in your feeder, black oil sunflower seed and niger seed are excellent choices. Suet feeders attract woodpeckers and nuthatches. Mixed seed, including corn, attracts ground-feeders like Ring-necked Pheasants, Mourning Doves, and various sparrows and juncos.
They all need help, but there’s a fine line between helping them and exposing them to danger from viruses, as well as predation from hawks and domestic cats that hang around feeders. Bird feeders can attract predators like domestic cats, hawks and falcons, such as this Merlin, a small falcon that uses surprise attacks to prey on other birds. Providing birds with garden plantings that offer cover may help reduce predation.
It boils down to a personal choice: to feed or not to feed.
Another way to help wild birds is to consider them when planning or adding to your garden. Natural food and shelter are very helpful in winter. Bushes like Canada Holly, Wild Rose and Serviceberry have red fruits that attract Waxwings, Cardinals and Robins. Dense shrubs and hedges provide cozy spots to hide from predators or to get a good night’s sleep – so do brush piles, woodpiles or even the Christmas tree you’ve taken from inside and propped against your house or fence. Some grasses and thistles have seed heads that attract chickadees, finches and sparrows, so leave these uncut.
Come spring, take your feeders down and plant more bird-friendly bushes. The birds will love it!
Suzanne Borkowski is a retired high-school English teacher, an avid birder, and a past president of the Nova Scotia Bird Society. She is also a sub-compiler for the Bedford/ Sackville Christmas Bird Count. She lives in Lake of the Woods.
Story sources: www.canada.ca/.../avian-influenza-wild-birds.html; To feed or not to feed? Bird lovers are getting conflicting advice, CBC News; NS Bird Society, nsbirdsociety.ca ; Birds Canada, birdscanada.org.