How to Stop Feeding Wild Birds

Wild birds can generally find food elsewhere if you stop feeding them.

Feeding wild birds is an interesting and rewarding hobby enjoyed by many people. Attracting a variety of birds to one's yard can be a challenging, yet enjoyable activity. The conventional wisdom has always suggested that once you start to feed wild birds you must not stop because they come to depend upon you as a source of food. People need not feel compelled to continue to feed wild birds, however. Birds are able to adapt their food foraging to find food elsewhere, if necessary.

Instructions

1. Stop refilling your bird feeders and allow the food supply to dwindle naturally.

2. Remove the bird feeders from hooks or stands and clean them to remove any debris or dirt. Store them away in a garage or a shed where they will not be broken or damaged.

3. Consider refilling the bird feeders again to help birds through periods of extreme cold or inclement winter weather. Birds often have difficulty finding enough food during snow and ice storms. A filled bird feeder may help them survive.

Tips & Warnings

• Bird food supplied to wild birds from bird feeders is generally supplemental to wild birds' diets. Eliminating your source of food for wild birds should not have a significant impact on their survival.

References

• Feeding Birds
• Feeding Wild Birds