Best Kind of Bird Feeder?

[harry chickpea]

Although I have nothing against bird feeders, there are some issues you might want to consider.

In areas where there are bears, the birdfeeders and stored seeds are attractants. The problem has become worse in states like Vermont, as the bear populations have increased over the past few years. Police recently dispatched a bear in an Alabama town that was wandering through and had stopped to eat at a birdfeeder. Not good for the bears, the birds, or the people feeding them.

HN51 bird flu. If this ever does mutate into a strain that easily crosses to humans, do you really want to have dying birds flocking to your house?

Field mice and rats. If you live in an urban area and feed birds, you'll be attracting rats. I've seen rats the size of small possums near some feeders at night. In the country, field mice love to take up nearby residence.

Cats. Where there are birds and mice, there are likely feral cats. You are affecting the natural ecosystem and there are consequences. Your flower beds may become litter boxes.

Cost. While the cost of entertainment is generally accepted, there is a bit of a dichotomy in spending a lot of money feeding birds while people are going hungry. In the old days, the food for birds was suet that would be tossed out anyway, home-grown sunflowers, and the like. I harvested our sunflower heads this fall, and as the weather gets colder they'll get set out. We enjoyed the flowers, and some of the seeds ourselves, and the birds get a meal that is free to them and us.

Dependence. When used to excess, bird feeders can make birds depend on that source of food and stay in areas that otherwise can't support them. If you suddenly stop feeding in those circumstances, it is like cutting off food for your pets. A birdfeeder or two isn't going to make a major difference, but remember that sometimes bigger isn't better.