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Hi everyone! Welcome back to Animal Wonders! The world is filled with people who are fascinated
by animals, and I’m happy to say that the whole team at Animal Wonders is part of that group.
We love all the animals that we care for at Animal Wonders, but we also love
learning about and observing animals in their natural habitat.
Now songbirds are particularly interesting to humans,
and many have made it a serious pastime to observe them for centuries.
We enjoy watching them out in the wild, and we love seeing them visit our own yards and gardens.
We’ve even taken to enticing them closer to our homes for easier viewing
by learning what they eat and making the offering in exchange for their company.
So when did this whole bird feeding phenomenon start?
Well, a monk named Saint Serf is the first person recorded feeding birds.
It’s written that he fed and tamed a wild pigeon in Scotland in the 6th century,
which was about 1,500 years ago. And apparently we’ve been doing it
ever since, and it’s become quite popular with both humans and the birds who partake in the feasts.
I think these kinds of large scale interactions with animals
is really interesting, and it’s quite inspiring to know how much empathy humans have for others.
In the winter of 1980 and 1981, newspapers across the UK urged people to leave food out for the
birds because the weather was so severe. And the people were so in love with
the birds that they flocked to help them. Now in the UK, birds are fed all year round,
and at least half of the homes in Britain feed birds in their gardens.
And in the United States, feeding birds is a very common pastime, second only to gardening.
And an average of $3 billion is spent on different types of bird feed every year.
Birds are loved in countries across the world, and it just makes me happy how much people enjoy it.
So, humans love feeding birds.
They’re beautiful animals, and it’s fun seeing them in our own backyard.
However, scientists have been studying our bird feeding habits,
and they have found some interesting conclusions. There are some big benefits to feeding the birds.
It allows us to see beautiful wild animals without having to leave our homes
or go out into their territory in search of them.
And it can become educational if you start learning to recognize
the different species that come to visit. It’s also great for kids because when the birds
come to eat, they might stay and build a nest, and then they might raise their young all in our backyards.
Being connected to animals in this way allows them to begin appreciating and wondering
about animals from a young age. And the birds benefit from being fed as well.
Since so many people feed the birds in the UK, it’s reported that there's enough food set out
to sustain the 10 most common garden species. That’s a lot of food!
And it means that in the winter and during periods of harsh weather,
many birds will still be able to find food. And they’ll have a better chance of surviving
and successfully raising their young. Now, some significant changes have also been happening.
More and more birds are beginning to move into urban areas
where there's abundant food all year round. And surveys are recording increases in species
diversity and richness over the last few decades. But birds that would normally live in more
wooded habitats are moving away from forests and toward human settlements.
So by feeding the birds, it's been scientifically proven that we are impacting bird populations,
and not always in a good way. So, because there is also another
side to this, let’s talk about some of the issues with feeding the birds.
Now most bird feeders are placed in gardens or backyards, and as bird populations have increased,
so have predators and pests.
Some of the feed will fall on the ground and attract mice and rats.
And the birds themselves will be coming into greater contact with predators like dogs and cats.
And millions of birds are killed by cats every year.
Also, during breeding season, nests located near a feeder are more vulnerable
to predators like ravens, crows, and squirrels.
But feeders can also be a hotspot for the spread of avian diseases.
Some people will feed the birds bread and other table scraps.
And these can hold very little nutritional value for birds, and if they begin molding,
they could cause serious health issues.
And another problem is many people don’t clean their feeders.
They hang the feeder, fill it with food and then just continue to replenish it as it gets empty.
Since so many different birds and species are coming to feed from one spot
instead of foraging far and wide, it's easy for diseases to transfer
among individuals and then whole populations.
For example, in the UK, a disease called Trichomonosis has caused a significant decrease in populations
of greenfinches and chaffinches. Trichomonosis is an infectious disease
caused by a parasite called Trichomonas gallinae. It causes damage to the mouth, crop, esophagus,
and sometimes lung, liver and other body parts. This damage makes it hard for birds to swallow
and eat, so they're often seen regurgitating food or drooling.
If a bird with Trichomonosis visits a bird feeder or bath and drools or spits,
the parasite could be passed to any other birds that visit that feeder or bath after them.
Thankfully, this disease has not been documented in the US,
but there are a variety of other diseases that can be passed at dirty feeders or bird baths.
So, you can see that there are some issues with feeding wild birds,
but the great thing is that once we know the problems,
we can make sure we learn how to avoid them for the benefit of the birds that we love so much.
So don’t be discouraged or go out and get rid of all of your feeders.
Bird feeding done right is still very beneficial to wildlife. But there are some things we can do
differently to ensure that we're providing a safe habitat for birds when they come to visit
our gardens or yards. First, we can start
by cleaning the feeders regularly. What I recommend is having two bird feeders.
Hang one up and fill it with feed. After 2 weeks, take it down and
hang the second feeder full of food. While the second feeder is up,
wash the first one immediately, and then leave it somewhere to dry and remain dry
until 2 weeks later, when you switch them out. If the feed gets wet or you notice a sick
bird at the feeder, throw the food away in a secure trash can, wash the feeder,
and let it dry for a week before you replace it. Second, we can try and feed the birds a little less when
other food sources are more abundant. During the winter and early spring,
it's much harder for birds to find food, and they may rely on food that's set out by us.
But during the summer, there are tons of other food sources readily available.
And many bird species also feed their babies insects while they're in the nest, so they
won't need the seed mix to feed their chicks. Now, the adults will still love to snack on seeds
from the feeder while they hunt for insects, but you don’t need to provide for all of their
dietary needs. Just leave out a little. Also, when the baby birds are fledging and
beginning to leave the nest, it’s important for them to learn how to forage for food on their own
and not rely solely on the bird feeder. And finally, make your yard a safe place for birds.
Birds have a hard time understanding windows and will often crash into them or become territorial
when they see their reflections, and they end up injuring their wings or body, so you can help them out.
Set up your feeder at least 30 feet away from your home.
If you can’t do that, place anti bird decals on your windows to warn them off.
These decals stick right to your window, and many are clear to our eyes but the birds can see them
because they reflect ultraviolet light. Also, if you have dogs or cats,
keep them inside or away from your feeders so the birds aren’t being preyed upon by your pets.
So you can see when it's done right, feeding birds can be a wonderful pastime.
It’s so enjoying to watch all the birds that will flock to your yard enjoying the bounty that you’re providing.
Just be sure you’re also providing a safe habitat for them to visit.
Thank you for watching! If you’d like to learn more about birds and other animals,
subscribe to our channel Animal Wonders Montana and go on adventures with us every week!
And if you’d like to continue learning in other exciting ways, you can check out educode.org!
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Thanks for watching, and I’ll see you very soon!
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