Live Life Team
A Birdfeeder, also known as bird table or bird feeder, is a kind of device placed outdoors to supply food to birds. Its success primarily depends on the kinds of birds to be fed, and its placement. It is sometimes difficult to attract birds because different species have different preferences. Birdfeeders are commonly used for bird watching at home and some people put webcams around bird feeders where birds often flock. Some of the familiar seeds put in bird feeders are sunflower, safflower, millet, thistle, canola seed, and rapeseed. But the most common among the bird seeds is the sunflower, also called mixed seed, which can attract various birds such as cardinals, chickadees, and finches. Bird feeders can also be categorised into several types such as seed feeders, hummingbird feeders, oriole feeders and suet feeders.
Despite the recreational benefits, using bird feeders is said to be a cause of ecological imbalance or environmental problems. Some of the problems were even highlighted in the Wall Street Journal’s front page. But before the publication and release of the article in the Wall Street Journal, Jason Rogers, a Canadian ornithologist wrote an article in the Alberta Naturalist journal which discussed some of the environmental problems associated with people’s use of bird feeders.
It is observed that during spring, feeders are responsible for 25% of birds’ diets and that during the winter season the birds tend to return to the feeder, which they find to be a very dependable source of food.
