Feeding wildlife can bring a sense of satisfaction and closeness with the natural world around you. The connection offered by feeding wild birds can help improve our wellbeing, but unfortunately it may lead to poor outcomes for the birds, yourself and your neighbours if not managed responsibly.
It is important to remember that wildlife are exactly that, wild. Although some animals adapt to living near humans and may appear tame, they can still behave aggressively if they feel threatened. You should never attempt to handle a wild animal unless you are trained and have appropriate personal protective equipment.
The tips below will ensure feeding wild birds is managed responsibly.
Feed wildlife their natural diet
To avoid causing problems for the wildlife species that you are trying to help, it is important to do some research about their natural diet. The best solution is to attract wildlife to your backyard by supporting them with habitat and a natural food source. Our Environmental Partnerships Program may be able to support you achieve this goal.
If you must feed wildlife, try to offer foods that mimic what they would normally eat in the wild and don’t offer human foods such as bread. Bread lacks the nutritional value that animals require for good health and can lead to disease and deformities, as well as cause negative impacts on the ecosystem.
There are often wildlife-specific products that are available and will contribute to a balanced diet, such as specially formulated nectar mix for parrots or pellets for wallabies. Alternatively, you can feed water birds, like ducks, leafy greens, peas, corn, non-citrus fruit or worms. Meat eating birds (butcher birds, magpies, kookaburras) can be fed ox heart from the supermarket or dog food mixed with insectivore mix. Human mince, even the leanest mince, is too fatty and will cause health problems.
Minimise the risk that wildlife will become reliant on your food supply by only providing them with a supplement, not their main meal. Better yet, feed naturally by planting food sources or encouraging food items like insects into your backyard.
Bird feeding tips
- Use raised or hanging feeding stations. Do not throw the food on the ground, as food can go mouldy and attract pests.
- Provide raised bird baths.
- Clean feeding and watering stations daily with warm soapy water.
- Remove any uneaten and spoilt food after about one hour. Do not leave the food out overnight.
- Keep it interesting for the birds and alter the times and days you provide food.
- Ensure you are only providing a snack, not a meal for the birds. This will help the birds to be less reliant on this food.
- Cease feeding if large flocks (20+ birds) begin feeding at the same time.
- Remove pet food leftovers before feeding the birds.
- Stop feeding the birds when you notice the birds waiting for food as this can cause issues for neighbours.
- Ensure high-quality food, commercial nectar mixes, no-fat meat or seed mixes are provided. You can also give nuts, berries, fruit, mealworms, ox-heart, frozen corn and peas. Never give bread, as it has no nutritional value the birds need. Think of the food as junk food, which should be eaten in moderation.
- The best option is to plant habitat using local native plants to encourage birds naturally.
Can problems occur?
Over feeding, unclean food areas and watering stations may cause issues for the birds, yourself – or your neighbours. Providing more food, more often can be seen as helping the birds, but it can become a problem.
Some concerns that can occur if bird feeding is not correctly managed include:
- Disease is spread more easily to wild and captive birds.
- Not feeding the right food can expose the birds to nutritional disorders.
- Noise and mess from bird droppings (faeces) can cause a mess to yourself and your neighbours.
- Feeding birds can unintentionally support an increase in the population of some common birds.
- Left over food often attracts unwelcome guests, such as rats and mice, but also predators such as cats and birds of prey.
- Providing food for birds can increase aggression and fighting between birds.
What if feeding wildlife is causing an issue?
If a neighbour is feeding wildlife that are causing an issue, the first step is to speak to them about your concerns. Remember, people who feed birds are often doing it out of kindness and for their enjoyment, so they may not realise they are causing an issue. Suggest the above feeding tips to assist in managing issues.
If you require further information regarding the above, please contact Council on 3829 8999 or RCC@redland.qld.gov.au. Alternatively, the Department of Justice and Attorney-General (JAG) provides dispute resolution services, including mediation, to assist in resolving issues between neighbours. JAG can be contacted on (07) 3738 7000, 1800 017 288 or drc.sq@justice.qld.gov.au.
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Image credit: Doug McVicar