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Feeding wild birds2007-11-24 17:07:12

My wife and I have always fed the birds in our yard. This spring I was sitting outside eating some grapes and threw a mushy one by the bird feeder. A cardinal flew right to it and devoured it. I threw a couple more and he ate them too. This turned into an everyday thing with as many as four or five cardinals eating grapes. It has gotten to the point that they expect them morning and evening. A couple of them come so close to me I could probably hand feed them. It's sort of comical, they're almost like pets. Anytime I'm outside they follow me around chirping at me. Whenever I mow the grass they follow me from tree to tree. My wife calls them my children. The parents even bring their young and feed grapes to them. My question, though, is could I be doing them harm in the long run by teaching them to not fear humans? We are always nice to them but someone else might not be. They also show no fear of our cat which really concerns me. Any input appreciated.

Answers:

You are lucky to have the birds come that close. I have been feeding birds for over 15 years and the only ones that come that close to me are hummingbirds. Concerning your question...if you live in a rural area with few neighbors, I would think the birds would be fine, but if you live in a area with lots of people, then getting them use to human contact might do them harm. If their lack of fear only started when you fed them grapes, you might just have to stop. I know that would be hard since they enjoy it and you do to, but if your concerned, then I guess it's the only option. As far as them having no fear of your cat, I definitely think that is bad if your cat shows agression towards them. Does your cat ever try to catch or chase the birds? I have had cats all my life and the birds have always feared them...rightly so. Only thing I can think is that maybe your cat shows no interest in the birds and does not chase after them, so therefore the birds have no reason to fear it. I have had cats before that couldn't care less about a bird flying around their head, so that is a possibility.

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You are correct to be concerned. Place the grapes in/on a feeding station rather than tossing them to the birds. Discourage their familiarity with you/humans in general. And keep the cat indoors.

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Cardinals are very territorial. Those cardinals are "your" birds. The only people they need fear are the ones around your house. I don't think that you really have anything to worry about. Enjoy your birds and keep feeding them.

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Although you are a very kind person to feed the cardinals, it can be harmful to feed wildlife. They quickly become dependent and often lose their ability to fend for themselves. It can also upset an ecological balance. For this reason many parks have stiff fines for people who feed wildlife. Good intentions don't always translate into good results.