bird feeding
I didn’t realise there were so many myths regarding bird feeding but over time, I have heard and read about many, as follows:-
The myth that feeding uncooked rice to birds will kill them due to it swelling inside their stomachs is a very popular one and of course, untrue. Rice is actually nutritious for our birds and can safely be added to Feeders in order for the birds to enjoy.
Everbody seems to feed our Ducks with bread as if this is what they should eat but really, bread has very little nutritional value for them and too much bread in small ponds for example can attract predators, rodents and other pests. Decayed bread can also lead to diseases that can infect both birds too. Fresh peas and small grapes are much, much better for them.
Lots of us think that birdseed does not have a ‘sell by / use by’ date but if stored incorrectly and if it is very old, it will mainly attract pests and rodents or become mildewed and eventually old seed dries out and is obviously is not good for the birds. If however, it is stored properly, it can last for a few weeks/months. Choose a cool, dry area to store seed and use airtight containers that will deter rodents and insects.
Some people are of the thinking that feeding birds makes them dependent on handouts which is not a good thing but while the same birds may regularly visit the Feeders daily in our garden, studies have shown that wild birds only get an average of 25 percent of their food from them, therefore, there are many wild food sources that birds prefer and while they will visit Feeders out of convenience, naturally, they will find other sources of food if Feeders are unavailable.
This may sound like an odd one but I read somewhere that birds’ feet will freeze to the metal feeder perches in extreme weather. This is not true as birds’ feet are actually well protected against cold weather. An interesting fact is that birds do not have sweat glands in their feet to provide moisture that would freeze to metal and their feet and legs are made up of scaly tissue with a low blood flow to minimise cold damage.
A lot of people believe that birds will starve if you stop feeding them during the Winter but as birds have evolved over time, they have naturally become very adaptive and mobile creatures so unless a bird is sick or debilitated, it can use its wings (or legs) to range far and wide in search of food.