Safe Birdfeeding by Alicia King
Feeding wild birds is a very popular hobby, second only to gardening in North America. It is a fun, rewarding and educational hobby. Many schools and work places have added feeders to their areas. An important element of feeding the birds is taking proper care of birdfeeders, including periodic cleaning to help promote bird health and proper placement to promote bird safety.
Keeping your birdfeeders clean is a very important part of providing a healthy feeding environment for the birds. Proper placement of birdfeeders is also important in keeping birds safe from predators.
A 1992 study conducted by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology concluded that 51 percent of bird deaths were caused by window strikes. Predation, predominately by household cats, caused 36 percent of bird deaths. Disease caused only 11% of bird deaths in our backyards.
In a 1997 study conducted by the American Birding Association, cats were found to be a significant source of mortality among birds that come to feeders. It has been estimated that a single domestic household cat can kill more than 100 birds and small mammals each year.
When you feed the birds, take the following steps to provide a safe and healthy feeding
environment.
- Provide multiple feeding stations in different areas of your yard to disperse bird activity.
- Crowding at the feeder - which is a more common occurrence in winter months - can cause stress, which may make birds more vulnerable to disease.
- Clean your feeders regularly with hot water, and let them air dry completely. Also keep areas under and around the feeders clean.
- Keep seed clean and dry and watch that it doesn't get moldy. Offer only fresh seed.
- Use a seed blend that is designed for the feeder you have and the type of birds that come to that feeder. Blends that contain filler seeds or grains are not typically eaten by the birds and end up on the ground making a mess.
- Dry rake or use other methods to keep the area around your feeder clean.
- Provide seeds from a feeder rather than broadcasting/scattering seed on the ground.
- If possible, move your feeding stations periodically, so there will be less concentration of bird droppings.
- If you find a dead bird near the feeder that has not been killed by a predator, disinfect the feeders with a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water.
- Always wash your hands after filling or cleaning your feeders.
- Place bird feeders in locations that do not provide hiding places for cats and other predators to wait to ambush the feeder. Birdfeeders should be placed 5' to 12' from low shrubs or bushes that provide cover.
- Providing a brush pile or bushes and trees 5-12 feet from feeders can provide a place for birds to hide in the event of danger.
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