Respect Wildlife

As the weather gets colder, it’s best to appreciate local wildlife from a distance. Feeding hungry wildlife during colder months is not necessarily doing them a favor. The more we feed wildlife, the more they depend on our generosity and become less able to sustain themselves.

What about bird feeders? Feeding birds seems to be second nature to many bird lovers and doesn’t have to be detrimental to a bird’s health, but it’s best to keep a couple of things in mind before feeding the birds. If you put out an overabundance of bird food during the warmer months, it may also affect the birds’ ability to take care of themselves, as well. Plus, bird seed is often shared by squirrels and other rodents which may in turn attract larger predators such as foxes and coyotes, so be prepared, and if you call your local shelter for advice on evicting these predators from your yard, the first thing they will probably advise is to lose the bird feeder.