10 Steps to Provide a Safe and Healthy Feeding Environment
This entry was posted on 3/22/2007 10:21 AM and is filed under Bird Feeding.
Some of our favorite bird
species are common visitors at our bird feeders. These feeding stations may be
an important factor in their well-being during some part of their life cycle.
However, poorly maintained
feeding stations may contribute to the occurrence of infectious disease and
mortality.
When you feed the birds,
take the following steps to provide a safe and healthy feeding environment.
1. Provide multiple feeding
stations in different areas of your yard to disperse bird activity. Crowding at
the feeder - which is a more common occurrence in winter months -- can cause
stress, which may make birds more vulnerable to disease.
2. Dry rake or use other
methods to keep the area around your feeder clean.
3. Provide seeds from a
feeder rather than broadcasting/scattering seed on the ground.
4. If possible, move your
feeding stations periodically, so there will be less concentration of bird
droppings.
5. Always wash your hands
after filling or cleaning your feeders.
6. Place bird feeders in
locations that do not provide hiding places for cats and other predators to
wait to ambush the feeder. Birdfeeders should be placed at least 10' to 12'
from low shrubs or bushes that provide cover.
7. Keep feeders clean -
Clean and disinfect feeders regularly. If you find a dead bird near the feeder
that has not been killed by a predator, disinfect the feeders with a solution
of one part liquid chlorine household bleach in nine parts of tepid water (a
10% solution) to disinfect. Make enough solution to immerse an empty feeder
completely for two to three minutes. Allow to air dry. Once or twice a month
should do, but weekly cleaning may be needed if you notice sick birds at your
feeders.
8. Use a good blend of
birdseed. Keep seed clean and dry and watch that it doesn't get moldy in the
feeder. Offer only fresh seed. Discard food that smells musty, is wet, looks
moldy or has fungus growing on it. Disinfect any storage container that may
have held spoiled food as well as the scoop used to fill feeders.
9. Don't wait to act until
you see sick or dead birds. With good prevention, you'll feed birds in the
safest way.
10. Encourage your
neighbors who feed birds to follow the same precautions. Birds normally move
among feeders and can spread diseases as they go. The safest birdfeeders will
be those in communities where neighbors cooperate with equal concern for the
health of the birds.
The complete picture of
bird health in our backyards has rarely been examined. A 1992 study conducted
by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology concluded that 51% of bird deaths were
caused by window strikes. Predation, predominately by household cats, caused
36% of bird deaths. Disease caused only 11% of bird deaths in our backyards.
In a 1997 study conducted
by the American Birding Association, cats were found to be a significant source
of mortality among birds that come to feeders. It has been estimated that a
single domestic household cat can kill more than 100 birds and small mammals
each year.
