|
It?s something most Australian birdwatchers
notice on a trip to the Northern Hemisphere: everywhere you go, people are
feeding birds.
From basic hanging trays to elaborate multiple tubes
displaying carefully selected seeds of bewildering variety, and from
traditional suet balls to expensive electronic dispensers, finches, tits,
nuthatches, chickadees and other birds flock to take advantage of the
bonanza of free food. The seed and the many associated pieces of hardware
are widely available from any supermarket, as well as the shopfronts of
all the birding and conservation organisations.
As thoroughly
mainstream groups such as the United States? Audubon Society and the
British Trust for Ornithology ardently pronounce: ?If you care about bird
conservation, feed the birds?.
About half of all Northern
Hemisphere households provide food for wild birds, and several threatened
species in the United Kingdom ? including the song thrush ? are now
largely sustained through the supplementary foods provided in people?s
backyards.
For many in Australia, the scale and level of support
for this universally popular pastime is astonishing ? even possibly
alarming. Here, feeding birds is unofficially frowned upon, and typically
strongly opposed by most bird and conservation groups.
So, it may
be somewhat disconcerting to learn that the bird feeding participation
rates in Australia ? despite the fairly obvious disapproval ? are
effectively identical to those in other parts of the world, with studies
demonstrating that 38 to 65 per cent of Australian households are actively
engaged in feeding. Clearly, we like to feed wild birds.
Should we
be concerned? If you listen to some bird experts, we should be very
worried! In their strong opinion, feeding increases populations of already
common species, leads to the spread of disease and the loss of natural
foraging behaviour, and causes birds to become entirely dependent upon
people for their food.
On the other hand, other experts state ?
just as forcefully ? that feeding helps birds survive tough winters,
allows some species to survive in urban environments, and above all,
encourages people to value nature by reconnecting with wildlife. Who is
right?
I have been struggling with these issues and questions for
many years. Having searched the international literature and talked to
experts in many countries, I can confidently say: we still don?t know (see
?An appetite for connection: why we need to understand the effect and
value of feeding wild birds?).
While there is no doubt that most
bird feeding benefits common species, there is little evidence that this
has much effect on other species. Similarly, while there are some very
real and catastrophic examples of diseases being spread from feeders where
many birds congregate, these examples are extraordinarily rare considering
the large number of feeding stations.
The evidence shows that at
least one concern ? that of birds becoming reliant upon foods offered or
discarded by humans ? seems to be unwarranted, thankfully.
The
problem is that although feeding is extremely popular and widespread, we
know remarkably little about its actual effect. Nonetheless, people will
continue to feed millions of birds.
We need locally appropriate
guidelines that minimise the risks, but until these are fully developed,
here are some sensible suggestions:
- Provide food suited to the species (no bird should eat bread)
- Keep the helping small (it?s a snack, not dinner)
- Hygiene is vital (you wouldn?t eat off a dirty plate)
- It?s not about what works best for you (it?s about the birds!)
Associate Professor Darryl Jones is Deputy Director of the
Environmental Futures Centre at Griffith University?s School of
Environment. His background is in behavioural ecology, with a special
interest in species? adaptation to urbanisation. Assoc. Prof. Jones has a
long-term interest in birds ? particularly megapodes (mound-builders) and
corvids, and the implications of garden bird feeding.
http://www.sciencealert.com.au/features/20111008-22484-2.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencealert-latestnews+%28ScienceAlert-Latest+Stories%29 |
