Singing for their supper

By JEFF KLINKENBERG
© St. Petersburg Times,
published December 13, 2001

Is feeding for the birds? Floridians and tourists alike love feeding the pelicans, and one seabird rehabilitator says it's a good thing. But another argues those who feed the birds may be loving them to death.

Is it okay to feed songbirds?

Experts say it's okay, provided the songbird doesn't know that a human being is responsible.

Put seed in a backyard bird feeder, sit back and enjoy.

"But put your feeder in a place where you're not fertilizing or applying pesticides," says Lee Fox of Save Our Seabirds. "Songbirds are messy and they'll knock seed to the ground. Then they'll go to the ground to eat that seed. They can get poisoned."

Don't throw bread crumbs to songbirds. Bread isn't part of their natural diet. And never try to feed by hand.

"We don't want the birds to associate the feeding activity with us," says Stephen Nesbitt, ornithologist for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. "We want wild birds and not tame birds."

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