American Backyard Feeders May Do Harm to Wild Birds

The Wall Street Journal ^ | Friday, December 27, 2002 | JAMES P. STERBA

[TroutStalker]

Last year, Americans spent $2.6 billion on birdseed. That's more than twice as much as they spent on prepared baby food, and two and a half times as much as they spent on food for needy nations. They shelled out a further $733 million on feeders, houses and baths for birds.

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

My response to this article is: BULL***T!

[Lady Jag]

You said that so well that I have quoted you already!

[libbylu]

i agree. i quit putting out bird feed because of the squirrels, and i still have lots of birds around. and to think a bird won't migrate because of a food supply is plain ignorant.

[groanup]

"We'll decide what we do in feeding birds, regardless of what some "expert" says"

We will too. These "experts" are telling us that our feeding the birds is killing them. In my experience with birds I can unequivocably state that if they are dying off at the bird feeders they will figure it out soon enough and avoid the feeders. Birds can learn to adapt faster than any animal I know.

[FITZ]

With their handouts of food, they helped create huge populations of so-called welfare wildlife.

The article is fairly true ---welfare isn't really ever a good thing, it just creates dependency and increased populations of the dependent types.

[osagebowman]

I put ears of corn out for the squirrels, now they are too fat to make it onto the bird feeders. And if things get really tough, we'll have corn-fed squirrel for dinner.

[osagebowman]

We've seen the same thing happen, we refer to the feeder in the front yard as the "birdie cafeteria", sparrows sometimes get snatched mid-bite. Several times I've not seen any birds feeding at their stations and looked up to see a rd-tailed hawk circling the yard, they are beautiful in flight.

[Hot Tabasco]

Switch to safflower seeds and shoot the squirrels with a pellet rifle. I personally dont like sunflower seeds because they will sprout in the grass......

[Hot Tabasco]

I've got thistle feeders which supply the demands of a bunch of goldfinches and a feeder on the back deck which supplies a flock of approx. 15 doves daily as well as a bunch of purple finches. The damn doves are eating me out of house and home. I now buy 50 lb. bags of safflower to keep them satisfied. All things being equal, I enjoy watching them sit on my back railings between eating times and waiting for me to refill the feeders when they are empty.......

[Hot Tabasco]

The "gold ring" for me is a hawk

Yea, I've got a hawk around too. Looked out my front window yesterday just as he went closely swooping by. I went outside and checked the side and back of the house but evidently he flew off hungry...... Nevertheless, it was pretty cool to see him......

[topher]

I have to disagree with the article. My former Landlady has a feeder, but she has a "forest" for a backyard. She naturally has possums and raccoons in her yard because of the dense ivy and many trees as well as a deep drainage ditch.

I have one for my apartment on my 2nd story porch -- which cats cannot get to or other wild animals.

Where I live is on the border of a dense forest -- my former Landlady just has many, many tall trees and thick growth in her yard and surrounding yards. I actually within about 50 feet of a forest (and it may be part of a National Forest -- not sure who owns the land).

[B4Ranch]

Last year, Americans spent $2.6 billion on birdseed

This is $2.6 billion bucks that Uncle sam wants in taxes.

[toddst]

Birds can learn to adapt faster than any animal I know.

There is an explanation for birds dying near a bird feeder that hasn't been mentioned in any article I've read. We find the old, weak birds move in close because we offer them both food and water. Where else would they choose to go than to a location where its safe plus has food and water in close proximity is available? We have seen this many times.

[BigBobber]

This article shows us once again that there is not one facet of life in America which is not targeted for regulation and eventual termination by the liberal nanny state.

The things that seem to perpetually raise the liberal ire are:

1) People derive pleasure from the activity,
2) Money is spent on it that could be re-allocated to vote buying, or dumped into some third world rat hole,
3) It violates their childish notions that they are going to create some kind of pre-Columbian wilderness within suburban America.

[cubreporter]

Oh yes...they are wonderful and truly a marvel!

[Uncle Sausage]

Anyone else notice that NIGER seed is now spelled NYJER? Did Trent Lott have anything to do with this?

[PoorMuttly]

Meddle with nature and animals, and they will balance themselves. It's NATURE. More food = more surviving birds/squirrels = more food for local predators, incl. cats = new birds/squirrels survive...wild animals breed BEYOND what the food supply will sustain. No need to shoot predators. There will always be enough birds to eat all available food, and then some. Remove the cats, and you will get mice, rats and hawks. Otherwise, watch the few birds available resources provide, and ponder it.

BTW, here in the northeast, squirrels live approx. 3 years in the wild. In captivity, 17 !

[strela]

My favorite bird feeder is a ground maze dispenser set on a timer for just before sunrise and just at sunset. Then wait in the bushes 10 yards away and wait for the quail and dove to show up.

(Game warden ON) "And you're just using that 12 gauge as a field-expedient crutch, right?" (Game warden OFF)

(snicker)

[technochick99]

We'll continue to responsibly feed and enjoy our birds and hope you do to. :)

I keep my feeder filled. I am part of urban sprawl, and my house has replaced farmland. I'm sure they were finding food here before, so why not now?

[BJClinton]

Hey, I gotta hunting license.