Bird Feeding: Helping or Harming?

We feed birds. We’ve been doing so for many years now—for various reasons, but I sometimes ponder whether our feeding them is for our benefit or theirs. We love to watch them buzz around the feeder; they are very entertaining. We like to feel that we are helping our feathered friends—especially during cold and snowy times. But are we really aiding them? Is it an act of anthropomorphizing to call them friends? Are we just making them dependent on us and thus less able to forage for themselves? How much do they need our food? We shudder when our cat catches one and wonder if we are just attracting them largely to serve as feline snacks.

These are not easy questions to answer. Numerous organizations and experts, with mixed results, have repeatedly considered them. Countless people feed birds and avian experts are chary about telling them that their efforts are not really helping. I’ve done some investigation and here are my current feelings. I stress the word “current,” because I believe that the jury is still out on the matter.

First the pros: As I said, we love to watch birds. They are beautiful and their antics provide unending fascination. In the process, we come to appreciate and understand them better. We mostly feed black oil sunflower seeds—a nutritious and energetic food. We add suet cakes and other kinds of nibbles, as the birds show their preferences. So we are giving them valuable nutrients that can help keep them healthy and better able to withstand cold winter nights and fend off disease. Studies have tended to show that feeding birds does not make them dependent—they’re still likely to go after other sources of wild food. Finally, when birds gather together around the feeder they can be safer than when alone, since more pairs of eyes are on the lookout for predators.

Now for the cons: The principle one for us is the cat. Although we want him to go after mice, he still catches half a dozen or so birds each year. I’ve rigged the feeder so that he can’t reach it and it’s out in the open, so he can’t hide behind something and ambush them. We severely scold him when he stalks the birds and keep him inside most of the day (to allow for his overnight mice hunting time). But it’s his nature to prey on birds. I believe we’ve minimized his success rate, but he’s still going to get a few. I’d like to believe that he’s culling out the less healthy ones, but that might be just a hope.

For some folks bird feeders attract other kinds of predators—especially hawks and even dogs. Since we’re home most of the time, we have never had a hawk close by, and our sweet dog ignores the feeder. But we are also aware that disease transmission can be a problem when birds crowd around a feeder.

So what’s the bottom line for us: Are we helping or harming our local birds? I believe that I can make a case for helping. Maybe the cat gets a few, but the birds are generally healthier than if they were on their own. Songbird mortality rates are quite high these days—what with withering habitat and plentiful predators (especially humans). I am conscientious about keeping the feeder always stocked and clean. We do our best to ward off predators. But I’m biased towards having birds around the place and am open to another conclusion.

Last of all, I’d like to think that our feeding efforts provide the local birds a little leisure time—and don’t we all like a little R and R… even birds?