The onset of COVID-19 lockdowns has forced many to look for safer ways to connect with nature, and new research shows that feeding birds around the world has increased exponentially. But is it okay to feed wild birds?
According to the A peer-reviewed article published last week in PLOS ONEIt was already known that feeding wild birds in backyards was extremely popular in many parts of the northern hemisphere and in Australia, despite being Strongly discouraged.
“There has been an increase in interest beyond the traditional countries for feeding birds in North America, Europe and Australia: 115 countries in all, including many countries where it is assumed that feeding will not take place.” Written by research co-author Darrell Jones.
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Bird feeders mostly benefit humans
Despite overwhelming evidence that overfeeding “can lead to problems for birds,” there is research highlighting the benefits of spending time in natural environments for people’s welfaremental health and a sense of purpose.
According to Jones, some experts oppose feeding wild birds for several important reasons, including:
These effects occur everywhere wild birds feed potentially dangerousJones writes. On the other hand, dealing with Wild birds This way now a favour as one of the most effective ways in which people can connect with nature”, which is becoming increasingly difficult due to the increasing number of people around the world They live in big citiesJones says.
A study published last year in Scientific Reports Use a smartphone app Urban Mind called for tracking and collecting people’s real-time reports of their mental health while birding between April 2018 and October 2021. Research from King’s College London It found that seeing or hearing birds was associated with an improvement in mental health that could last up to eight hours.
“People all over the world have been forced to stay close to their homes,” says Jones. Perhaps aspects of life that seemed to go on regardless, such as the birds arriving each day to feed, provided a path of comfort and reassurance.
“These trends mean that the simple and common practice of attracting birds to your garden by feeding them is of much greater importance to the well-being of birds and people alike,” Jones writes.
According to BirdLife Internationall, the official scientific source of information on birds l IUCN Red ListRange-restricted, rare and endangered species understandably attract a lot of conservation interest, but the most common and widespread birds are no less important for biodiversity.
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Are bird feeders good for birds at all?
Some studies show that birds can benefit from feeders during migration and harsh winters, and some believe that feeding the birds may help offset our species’ destruction of woods and lawns on lawns and malls, According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
“there nothing Feeding the Birds Wrong,” wrote Paul Paich, co-author of “Feeding Wild Birds in America: Culture, Commerce, and ConservationPosted in 2015. Birds don’t Need Nutrients. We do. “
The study looked at Google trends for feeding birds in more than 100 countries during and after lockdowns
since pdeceptive Studies have documented a global increase in birds during the closures, and the researchers wanted to determine if interest in feeding the birds also increased. The study relied on Google searches to measure interest in feeding the birds in each country, which means being able to measure interest appropriately in countries with lower incomes or less internet access.
The researchers found a clear correlation between the level of interest in feeding and species diversity. Countries lacking interest in bird research had an average of 294 bird species. In contrast, those countries of clear interest had an average of 511 species.
This apparent difference indicates that greater species diversity leads to more birds feeding. It may also mean that places with more species have more bird species living in their cities (where most of the feeders live). This is still under investigation. Researchers believe that feeding the birds leads to More birds in generalbut not more species.
Because the study used Google searches as a surrogate measure of bird feeding interest, bird feeding practices in countries with low income or Internet access may not be adequately captured. But the method was able to detect an increase in interest in feeding birds in countries such as Pakistan and Kenya.
What factors in the results?
- The weekly frequency of search terms, which include “bird feeder,” “bird food,” and “bird bath,” on Google Trends for 115 countries with sufficient search volumes from January 1, 2019, to May 31, 2020 “to see if These searches were increased during the specific lockdown period for each country.”
- The study reviewed bird species richness data for each nation Birdlife International Database.
- neglected Leftovers Not counted as food.
What did they discover?
- It only took about two weeks in each year of the countries surveyed Close In order to increase interest in feeding birds, according to data from Google Trends reviewed in the article. This happened in the northern and southern hemispheres.
- In contrast, in the 52 weeks leading up to closing combined with the week immediately preceding it, the researchers found “no significant change” in the birds’ feeding interests.
- A ‘clear association’ indicates that countries with greater diversity of bird species have higher levels of interest in feeding them.
How to reduce risks when feeding birds
If you’re going to be feeding wild birds, here are some of Jones’ best practices:
- Keep the feeder very clean to avoid disease.
- Do not overeat because it is not necessary.
- Provide species appropriate food (never human food) from reliable pets food comp.
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