Feed the Birds

The other wild creatures...not so much so

Lazuli Buntings at a feeder in AZ. Photo by Carol R. Comeau

A while back, it was a busy day out at Morro Rock near the area where everyone likes to watch the otters. Many folks were taking in the sights when my eye was drawn to a car that had several gulls perched on the roof and hood. The driver’s side door was open, and about 4 or 5 ground squirrels were crowded around the ground. The smiling woman just inside was throwing what looked like cheese puffs out for the squirrels and gulls to eat. One of the bolder squirrels was taking food out of her hand when she spilled her bag of snacks on the car floor. Seeing the bounty before its eyes, the rodent hopped inside to take advantage of the feast.

This was too much for the woman; her smile switched to shock as she tried to shoo it out, but the squirrel went the wrong way, bouncing off the glass of the opposite window, and then panic ensued, both from the human and the rodent. The woman trying to herd the squirrel out of the car, and the squirrel desperately finding all avenues of escape blocked by glass. Finally, she opened all her doors, and the squirrel bounded out and into the rocks by the water’s edge. After I got done laughing, I felt a little sorry for the traumatized squirrel, the woman not so much so; after all, there are signs out there asking people not to feed the wildlife, but they are regularly ignored.

I realize this can be a touchy subject for some, but what is it about people wanting to feed wildlife? Around 40% of Americans feed birds. It is widely accepted that feeding birds, for the most part, is not harmful and may even be beneficial. It has been shown to help birds survive winters and increase their success rate in nesting and chicks fledged. The exception I would caution people about would be specifically feeding crows or gulls. They need no help as they are plentiful and quite resourceful at finding food. Many times, crows will even prey on other songbirds’ nests. I’ve seen nests destroyed and nestlings carried off by them in my neighborhood.

While feeding birds may be fine, feeding mammals, on the other hand, is a different story. I do not doubt that most people who do it are animal lovers and have good hearts. They want to see them up close, to have a personal experience or connection with the creatures, but are largely unaware of the potential harm they can cause.

At Morro Rock, for example, the squirrels are fed so much that the abundance of food allows them to have an abundance of babies. There are so many squirrels out there that any green plant that dares to sprout is eaten. If you compare that bare dirt area where people feed the squirrels by the otters to the rest of the shoreline where there are fewer squirrels, you’ll notice a big difference in the number of flowers and plants growing. Plus, cheese puffs, French fries, potato chips, and other junk food are not healthy for those creatures. As a result, I have seen squirrels suffering from obesity, mange, tumors, and other maladies in that area.

Feeding deer (or other wildlife found around our homes) is also a bad idea. They are perfectly capable of finding their food and have special gut bacteria designed to help them digest their natural wild foods. It is unhealthy to throw pet food or other non-natural food items out for them.

Then there are the examples from communities throughout the west where the feeding of deer has attracted mountain lions into their communities, resulting in attacks on the deer, on pets, and in some cases, like Boulder, CO, attacks on people.

So, in the end, for all you animal lovers out there, go ahead, feed the little birds; no need to help the crows or gulls. And if you truly care about furry creatures, please don’t feed them; you’re not doing them any favors.