Those of us involved in wildlife care do not recommend feeding native birds. It’s always better to let birds gather their own natural food. Rare exceptions would include extreme drought or freezing temperatures leading to a scarcity of food, however those conditions are hardly ever a problem for Australian birds living in residential areas.
Birds are clever. If they know that a household is offering a free meal they’ll turn up regularly to take advantage. Some people misinterpret this and believe it means the birds are starving. That is rarely if ever the case.
Birds can adapt and come to rely on unnatural foods they are offered. Eventually they lose condition and give birth to weak young. Common examples are pelicans that are given sausage meat, pet food, bread or chicken when they should only eat fish. Magpies and other insectivores that are given bread, pet food or lunch meat when their natural diet is worms and insects. Swans and ducks that are given bread when their natural health-giving diet is waterweeds and grasses.
Bread is not found anywhere in the wild therefore it is not a suitable food for any species of bird. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean they won’t eat it.
Birds need ALL of the nutrients provided by their natural foods. For example, species that live primarily on insects (insectivores) rely on the nutrients found in every part of the insects they eat. That includes the wings, the liver, the flesh and the guts. They need all of this to get the full spectrum of nutrients to be healthy. By comparison, mince and other muscle meats that people often feed to insect eating birds contain few of those vital nutrients. Same when swans and ducks are given bread. Bread is deficient is so many of the nutrients that swans and ducks need to be healthy.
Guidelines for Feeding Wild Birds
If you insist on feeding native birds then two rules must apply. First, make sure you only give them foods that are compatible with their natural diet. Second, only give a small amount to be enjoyed as a treat. The amount you give mustn’t fill the bird up and displace the natural food it needs to be healthy. You might not be giving it much but that bird will almost certainly be visiting other houses in your street and begging. Over the course of a day it can end up eating a LOT of unnatural food.
Feed Infrequently
You will satisfy the above guidelines if you only feed birds once per day, maximum … and only give them a very small amount as a treat. Anymore and you will be doing those birds a great disservice. If they are fed daily, or more than once a day, they can suffer very badly if you go away.
Click on any subject below to learn about healthy foods that can be fed occasionally, in moderation, to the following species.
Kookaburras, currawongs, crows, butcher birds, magpies and pee wees (mudlarks) The above bird species are common in Australian gardens. All humanize easily and can become dependent on handouts of food. Ultimately this causes problems for them and other birds. All creatures need to eat a natural diet to be healthy. Unnatural food, provided by most… [Read More] Many homes on the Gold Coast receive regular visits from parrots and cockatoos. These noisy, gregarious birds are great fun. We never recommend feeding any wildlife but if you insist on feeding wild birds you have a responsibility to give them the right food. Otherwise you can do great harm. Lorikeets Let’s begin with what not to feed… [Read More] Enjoying swans and ducks on our lakes and waterways is one of the great pleasures of living on the Gold Coast. At any one time there are about 300 swans on the Goldie. I’m often asked, ‘what’s the best food for swans?’ It definitely isn’t bread. Bread is not good for any species of bird…. [Read More] Wildlife carers do not recommend giving food to any wild bird including pelicans. Feeding subverts many of a pelican’s natural instincts and behaviors. What initially might seem like an act of kindness invariably leads to suffering for the bird. The pelican’s natural diet is fish. If you feed a pelican anything other than fish it… [Read More]
* Feeding Common Garden Birds
* Feeding Wild Parrots and Cockatoos
* Feeding Swans and Ducks
* Feeding Pelicans