POLL: For the Birds

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As for whether you should feed them: if you start, you should keep doing it. They do indeed remember, season to season, where the feeders are. I sometimes wonder what will happen to this huge flock of assorted species that frequent my yard when I move away or get hit by a truck or whatever. But many in this small town feed them so I think they'll do OK.

The last study I read anything about looked at populations in areas with and without regular feeding, studying season to season survival of banded birds. More survived in the areas with feeders.

However, there are downsides: they can be messy, and if you don't choose your feeders wisely you get a lot of nuisance birds - here those are starlings and mourning doves. I've picked feeders they can't use easily and they still show up, just not in great numbers.

Interesting responses, folks.

 

40% of the birds found locally are pigeons, another 20% are seagulls, and the remaining 40% is a mix of sparrows, starlings, geese, finches, kestrels, robins, magpies, hawks, and hummingbirds.

My mom was a hardcore bird watcher when we were growing up, so of course she has a large seed feeder, a bird bath, several hummingbird feeders, and a large pond that attracts geese on occasion.

I don't feed birds myself...mainly because I still live in an apartment, and because I don't feel like wasting money on wild birds.

 

There were only options for feeders in the poll, but I don't use a feeder. Instead, I buy pre-made balls of fat, seeds etc, that are meant to be hanged up outside. They have a net surrounding them, so they can be nailed to the wall. Lots of pretty little birdies visiting, and sometimes woodpeckers too.