Here’s why bird feeders could be harmful to birds

URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — Bird feeders seem like the perfect way to give back to nature while keeping your backyard serene. But did you know that bird feeders can actually hurt birds more than help them? The Wildlife Medical Clinic at Illinois explains.

The clinicians strongly advise against feeding wildlife. They say it could result in a greater presence of “nuisance wildlife” like rats and mice. Human intervention could also lead to animals imprinting or becoming too comfortable with humans when they otherwise should not.

Though bird feeders usually require minimal human interaction, they can still be risky for birds. Experts with the Wildlife Medical Clinic at Illinois said the most common issues are how bird feeders encourage the spread of disease and increase of predation.

Sick birds often tend to utilize readily-available bird feeders rather than expend time and energy scavenging for food. This can infect the seed, the feeder itself, and other visiting birds with diseases like aspergillosis, avian pox, salmonella, and trichomoniasis.

Bird feeders are also often placed out in the open, leaving birds vulnerable to attacks from birds of prey. Although, even secluded bird feeders like ones placed in bushes or in brush could make birds more susceptible to attacks from domestic cats, who like to hunt there.

Additionally, spreading seed on the ground can attract small rodents, which can then make their way into your home.

So, how can you invite birds into your yard without subjecting them to illness or animal attacks? The Wildlife Medical Clinic at Illinois has a few suggestions.

Safe ways to help birds thrive

• Plant native trees, shrubs, and flowers .
  • Native plants give native birds the food and shelter they need, and lower interactions between sick and healthy birds.
• Provide a natural water source .
  • Bird baths can be just as dangerous as bird feeders. Natural bodies of water, like ponds, can provide water to birds as well as beneficial bacteria.
• Keep cats indoors .
  • Free-roaming cats are more at risk of injury, disease, predation, cat fights, and being struck by vehicles. They are also a risk to the environment, public health, and wildlife — especially birds. The Wildlife Medical Clinic says domestic cats kill upwards of 4 billion birds a year, making them the number one bird predators in the U.S. and “the world’s worst invasive species,” according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Cats in need of some fresh air should be kept on a leash or provided a “catio.”

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