Birdfeeding

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Image:Bird.table.600pix.jpg Birdfeeding is the activity of feeding (and usually observing) wild birds.

While birdwatchers seek out birds by species, bird feeders attempt to attract birds to suburban and domestic locations. This requires setting up a feeding station and supplying an adequate source of food for birds.

To begin bird feeding, one needs to know the birds that are local to an area and to select an appropriate food. While black oil sunflower seeds are the best all-around food type, millet and other cereal grains are also good for a wide variety of suburban birds. Suet is ideal for tree-clinging birds (nuthatches, woodpeckers, and others). Thistle seed is best for finches, chickadees, and other small herbivores. Insectivores are helped by either growing plants that are attractive to insects, or providing mealworms and/or other special insectivorous mixes. For instance, insect fat cakes are sold to attract blackcaps, and special mixes are produced to supplement the diet of the European Robin.

Feeding stations should be located near natural cover. Birds prefer to not be exposed. Therefore, putting a bird feeding station by a window will attract only especially gregarious birds (such as sparrows and starlings). While the viewer will want to have a clear line of sight to the feeding station, it is important for the station to be near shrubbery or a tree. If the station is too close to a tree or shrub, pests such as squirrels may find access to the station so easy as to render the effects nil. Locating feeders near low cover also gives predators such as cats a hiding place from which to launch an ambush. Also, be aware that the birds will be "sloppy" and spill food onto the ground. If the feeding station is over dirt or a lawn, cereals will germinate beneath the station, while sunflower seed and shelled nuts will not.

After the station is established, it can take up to three weeks for birds to "find" the station. This is particularly true if the feeding station is the first one in an area or if the station is being established in spring, when natural sources of food are plentiful. Therefore, beginners should not fill a feeding station at first. The food will get old and will show the effects of mold, if it is left uneaten for too long. This is particularly true of unshelled foods, such as thistle seed and suet. Once the birds begin taking food, it should be kept full. Additionally, people feeding birds should be sure that there is a source of water nearby. A bird bath can attract as many birds as a feeding station.

Generally, bird feeding is environmentally neutral or helpful. However, birds can become dependent on artificial food supplies, and feeding can upset the natural balance between different species. This is especially true of invasive species, such as, in the US, European starlings and Eurasian tree sparrows, which can increase in numbers due to feeding and displace native populations. Some bird feeders therefore attempt to select foods and feeding stations that can discriminate between desired and invasive species. If one is worried about fostering invasive species, it is best to feed during winter, when birds most need food, to taper feeding activity in spring, and to increase again in fall, when fledging will have taken place and local populations will be higher. Persons living on migration routes should especially feed during the migration times (which may be year-round), as feeding will not be likely to artificially promote local populations.

When birdfeeding, one must be sure to take hygiene and safety precautions, as the unnatural situation of having large numbers of birds congregating in one area can lead to local outbreaks of diseases such as salmonella. One must therefore clean all feeding stations regularly and wash away all droppings. One should wear rubber gloves when undertaking these tasks, so as not to come into contact with bird droppings, from which one can contract bacteria and viruses. Other safety precautions involve not feeding whole peanuts or unsoaked dried fruit during the breeding season as this can be dangerous to nestlings, and never using net bags to feed birds, as sadly, many birds have died as a result of their feet or tongues getting trapped.

Large sums of money are spent by ardent birdfeeders, who indulge their wild birds with a variety of wild bird seeds, suets, nectars (for hummingbirds), and special flower plantings. Birdfeeding is regarded as the first or second most popular pastime in the USA. Some fifty-five million Americans are involved in birdfeeding. The activity has spawned an industry that sells birdseed, birdfeeders, birdhouses (nesting boxes), mounting poles, squirrel baffles, binoculars, etc.

Most countries have birdfeeding hobbyists. Some simply share their table scraps with the wild birds; others, primarily Western European and North American birdfeeders, have developed a more studied approach, providing special feeders for seed, suet, and nectar, and a host of other feeding aids.

The ten commonest birds reported in U.S. gardens are, in descending order:

(from the 2005 Great Backyard Bird Count)

Image:BirdHousePigeonSparrows.jpg The ten commonest birds in British gardens are, in descending order:

(from the 2005 RSPB Garden Birdwatch. See also the RSPB's list of the twenty commonenst garden birds[1])

Several of these species do damage, and are classified as invasive vermin in many parts of the world; these include some species of gull, the domestic pigeon, the House Sparrow, and the European Starling. In some cities or parts of cities (e.g. Trafalgar Square in London) feeding certain birds is forbidden, either because they compete with vulnerable native species, or because they abound and cause pollution and/or noise.da:Vinterfodring af fugle

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