Feeding Wild Birds: Pros and Cons

The Science of Birds

This episode—which is Number 60—is about Feeding Wild Birds. As in, humans providing supplemental food for wild birds.
This typically involves a contraption called a birdfeeder. When you or I hang up a birdfeeder, we’re feeding wild birds intentionally. This intentional feeding is what today’s episode is about.
Millions and millions of people all around the world feed wild birds intentionally. At such a massive scale, you have to imagine this would affect birds significantly, and in many ways. And it absolutely does.
Which brings us to the big question: should we or shouldn’t we feed wild birds? This is still being debated. By scientists, conservation organizations, and bird lovers everywhere.
Today, I’ll do my best to give you objective, scientific information about feeding birds. We’ll look at the pros and cons. Then, we’ll see if there’s any sort of conclusion we can come to at the end of the episode.
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Links of Interest

• Analysis: Do Bird Feeders Help Or Hurt Birds?
• Birds not dependent on feeders, study suggests

Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website

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Chapters

1. [Ad] Birds of a Feather Talk Together (00:16:16)

2. (Cont.) Feeding Wild Birds: Pros and Cons (00:16:17)