Seedy Habits
Submitted by Paul Hetzler, Horticulture and Natural Resources Educator, Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County
In seedy areas across the North Country, ordinary people are shelling out hard-earned cash to feed a habit of near-epidemic proportions. On average, about 40% of U.S. households are addicted to buying cracked corn and other bird food, and in the U.K., close to three-quarters of the population are given to this habit.
In extreme cases, folks provide birds with dried fruit, suet, and mealworms. Most garden-variety bird-feeding addicts, however, go to seed. It often starts innocently: a few sunflower kernels or a handful of popped corn strewn in the backyard. These so-called gateway activities can quickly escalate, and decent folk soon find themselves out on Saturday mornings for a weekly fix of thistle seeds, millet, milo or suet.
Fortunately, there is no need to kick the birdseed habit. Watching native songbirds at a backyard feeder is soothing, and provides “cheep” entertainment. For children it can be educational, as well as a means to connect with the natural world.
And bird feeders can boost survival. A University of Wisconsin study found that even in an average winter, survival of black-capped chickadees increased from 37% to 69% when they had access to feeders. During extreme cold or ice storms, feeding makes an even bigger difference.
Although feeding birds is on the whole beneficial, it can pose hidden risks. Feeders bring together bird species that would not normally have contact with one another, and tend to attract them in high numbers. Under such conditions, pathogens can be readily passed around. Occasional outbreaks of mycoplasmal conjunctivitis, a contagious eye disease, and a deadly respiratory illness called trichomoniasis, kill thousands of songbirds. Aspergillosis and avian flu are other potential dangers.
These risks can be minimized, starting with basic food-safety standards. I like an all-you-can-eat buffet as much as the next person, but if no one cleaned the salad bar or washed the steam trays for months on end, my enthusiasm would wane. The Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology recommends scrubbing bird feeders, followed by a 10% bleach solution rinse, every two weeks.
A virtue in other contexts, inclusiveness is a problem in bird feeding. The Audubon Society points out that birdseed mixes lead to excessive waste and spoilage, a source of contamination. It is best to maintain a separate feeder for each type of seed. Not only does this cut down on waste, it reduces the number of species at each unit, helping to curb disease transmission.
Black oil sunflower seed is like watermelon at a picnic—everyone in the neighborhood is going to line up for it. If you have just one feeder, black oil seed will attract the widest variety of birds. Its popularity can occasionally lead to problems when bullies such as blackbirds hog the feeder and kick out other species. If that is the case, try switching to striped sunflower seed, which are not as attractive to grackles, starlings and cowbirds. The only thing is that striped seed may be harder for smaller birds like chickadees and nuthatches to open.
Thistle seed, also called Niger or Nyjer, is a tiny oil-rich seed favored by goldfinches, house and purple finches, redpolls and pine siskins. Because thistle requires a special feeder with narrow openings, jays and blackbirds can’t get at it. Don’t worry about having a yard full of thistles, though—Niger seed is heat-treated and will not sprout.
Cardinals and grosbeaks are fans of safflower seed, which has a hard shell and is therefore (at least slightly) less attractive to squirrels. Safflower is typically presented in tray-type feeders. White millet is eaten by juncos, cardinals, mourning doves and other ground-feeding birds. It is often spread on the ground or in tray feeders.
Cracked or whole corn will bring in larger species like grosbeaks, crows, grouse and turkeys. Unfortunately, it is also more attractive to deer, raccoons, and bears than other types of bird food. The problem with corn is that, as outlined in a Cornell factsheet, “Corn is the bird food most likely to be contaminated with aflatoxins, which are extremely toxic even at low levels. Never buy corn in plastic bags, never allow it to get wet; never offer it in amounts that can’t be consumed in a day…” Peanuts can also harbor these toxins.
One other source of illness is spoiled bread and other people-food put out for birds. Cornell, Audubon, and other birding groups strongly warn against the practice.
The Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count, started in 1900, relies on volunteers to tally birds in their area. In the St. Lawrence Valley, typically 45 to 50 species are identified each year. Population-wise, starlings and rock pigeons top the list, but chickadees, goldfinches, dark-eyed juncos, American robins, northern cardinals, white-breasted nuthatches, and various woodpeckers always show up as well.
I’m all for efficiency, but no one wants a combo bird-cat-squirrel feeding station. For cat issues, a recent innovation has made it easy to curb feline delinquency. Instead of belling the cat, you just give it an unattractive collar cover, or “bib.” Birds, apparently, are horrified by poor fashion taste, and will flee from garish colors and clashing patterns. Yep, loud attire reduces predation more effectively than loud noise. (Take note of how you dress when you go out birding.)
As for squirrels, which by the way will eat birds if they get a chance, it is not so simple. I have had squirrel-resistant feeders for nearly 20 years, and they have never been breached by a fluffy-tailed rodent. They have chewed on the metal grate and even cut the line holding the feeders, but nothing more. Of course if they are gleaning spilled seed on the ground, they are hard to stop. Except maybe with a cat.
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