Lethbridge residents advised to avoid hand feeding wild birds

“Birds living in the Lethbridge river valley have chosen to live here because there are lots of natural food sources and shelter nearby.”

The City of Lethbridge stated that the best diet for a wild bird is a natural one. A release noted, “Nature provides the most nutritionally balanced and appropriate food sources for wild birds.”

“Throughout the year natural food sources change, these changes align with wild bird’s dietary requirements. Insect lifecycles and seasonal berry, seed and flower ‘crops’ provide the right balance of nutrients and energy for birds at each stage of their own seasonal activities, like nesting and migration.”

The City of Lethbridge noted that human-fed birds could have reduced survival rates as food provided by people is less nutritionally balanced than their seasonal food sources.

It was also stated that hand feeding wild birds can create conflict between people and wildlife. Habituated wild birds will often show aggressive behaviour towards other birds, and humans.

Taylor Hecker, Educational Program Leader at the Helen Schuler Nature Centre said, “We have been having problems this fall with habituated birds flying at people aggressively looking for food. This happens frequently when we are outside with children on school fieldtrips.”

“Unfortunately, this is an alarming experience that has the potential to be dangerous for both the birds and the children.”

Officials added that when food items like bird seed, bread and crackers are used to attract wild birds, some waste is left behind. Birds like chickadees and woodpeckers often do not eat the seed they are baited with right away, with the birds hiding or caching the food throughout their territory. The cached seeds eventually grow into weeds, which the City of Lethbridge said have the potential to spread throughout parks over time, which degrades the habitat for other wildlife species.

Additionally, animals like mice are drawn to the excess dropped seeds or bread piles. As a result, feeding leads to unnatural population numbers for many other species, including coyotes, racoons and skunks. Leftover bits of seeds and hulls can become moldy, which could lead to illnesses for wild birds that eat it. Feeding can also lead to overcrowding, which in turn leads to outbreaks of disease.

The City of Lethbridge said that residents who enjoy watching birds can do so in a positive manner.

Having shrubs, trees and naturalized areas in backyards can help provide excellent food sources and habitat for birds. Clean, potable sources of water will also attract birds to residential properties.

More on the Helen Schuler Nature Centre and wildlife is available at the City of Lethbridge website.

Read more Lethbridge News Now.

by Justin Goulet

Lethbridge residents advised to avoid hand feeding wild birds

What's Happening