Consider ‘unintended consequences’ of feeding birds during fall migrations: experts

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — Please don’t feed the birds as they migrate through Vancouver this fall, wildlife experts say.

Thousands of snow geese, trumpeter swans, and other birds are preparing for winter in areas of the Fraser Valley and Vancouver island this October, but it’s best not to feed them.

Up to 80,000 lesser snow geese will arrive at the Fraser estuary from Wrangel Island, Russia this fall — just one of several species finishing a long flight along the Richmond Bird Trail. Raptors and other rare birds are also funneling through the valley this autumn, making it a hot spot for bird lovers across the country.

Yet bird feeding comes with plenty of “unintended consequences” Vancouverites need to consider, say two wildlife experts.

Emily Pickett, Campaign Director for Vancouver Humane Society, says “any wildlife feeding is problematic because it really creates a dependency and alters the behavior of natural wildlife.”

“We know that feeding birds can also lead to attracting other animals like rodents. For coyotes, rodents are their natural prey, so that can affect coyotes like we’re seeing in Stanley Park right now,” she says.

Causing malnutrition in birds is also a cause for concern.

“When we see them, it can put them at risk of injury or death because animals start to act differently around humans,” she says, noting collisions with cars and injuries from cats are both common problems.

Unnaturally large gatherings of animals coming together to eat can also spread disease. For example, when a salmonella outbreak hit B.C. in March, wildlife groups asked people to take down their feeders to prevent it from spreading.

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Species like geese might come to expect food from people, which could make them more aggressive when they don’t get what they want.

Fortunately, there are ways to enjoy wildlife without interrupting them, Pickett says.

“You can garden with native plant species, and that’s a great way to interact with the environment without impacting their behaviour,” she says.

Animals will find those plants and eat them organically.

Implementing bylaws related to feeding the birds might help maintain the natural balance in their ecosystems, says Pickett.

“I think it’s important to consider bylaws, but it’s equally important there’s enforcement of bylaws so there’s public education so people can really understand those risks and consequences to wildlife,” she says.

Nathan Clements is a wildlife biologist with the Canadian Wildlife Federation. He says it can be healthy for humans to connect with nature for their own mental health, but agrees that the best way to feed them is through planting native species for songbirds to enjoy.

Coming up August 25, don’t miss Dr. Sara Dubois, BC SPCA chief scientific officer, giving a public lecture on living with birds in the city at the Nature & Birds Expo #VanBirdFest #IOCongress2018. Photo credit: Tony Markle pic.twitter.com/6uV6fmVPK8

— BC SPCA / BCSPCA (@BC_SPCA) August 22, 2018

“With human-wildlife interactions, there’s always a risk of interfering with a natural food web. If you provide food to a wildlife species, that wildlife species can become dependent on that food source you provide,” he says.

The onus becomes on the person feeding those birds. That includes how you care for your feeder stations for those birds, if you clean them, monitor them, put fresh seed in for the birds, and monitor other things — maybe you have other visitors that come too.”

You can also expect to see rare species of ducks, sparrows, sandpipers, and more this time of year in the Metro Vancouver area.