Forumites' guide to attracting wildlife

Many nature lovers want to attract natives to their gardens. The easiest way is by feeding them but it isn’t necessarily helpful to the natives themselves and there are other ways that are not harmful such as providing water and habitat and deterring predators. Here is a collection of thoughts on what positive things you can do to attract natives and why you generally shouldn’t feed native birds or animals and the rare occasions when it is considered acceptable.

Disclaimer 1)

Anyone can attract birds with water. Choose a solid, stable bird bath and place it in a sheltered location. Having branches nearby can afford a sense of protection from predators and a place to perch and shake dry. Provide water in various places - in a bush for small birds, in an open tree for the larger birds etc - and in various sizes: small bowls just for drinking and larger ones for drinking and bathing. Rocks or an angled stick can help prevent smaller creatures from drowning by providing a bridge-like exit.

Planting appropriate trees/shrubs can attract the birds you want (and even deter those you don’t) without detrimental effects on the birds. A combination of native trees, shrubs and grasses will provide bird-friendly habitat in the form of layered protection and a variety of food sources.

The Flora for fauna website is a great starting point for learning how to plant a bird-attracting garden.

Animals such as rats and domestic cats pose a threat to native birds. Keep cats indoors and discourage rats from your property. Ensure that the placement of the food or water does not leave your birds exposed to predation. Fewer birds will visit exposed bird baths or feeding tables.

Any hand-feeding has to be weighed against the environmental impact. The issue of feeding wildlife is a sometimes controversial topic amongst wildlife authorities, nature lovers, animal carers, vets and the wider public. Several studies have found around 40-60% of Australian households partake in some form of wildlife feeding. There are many clear-cut cases of harm caused by some feeding practices, but scientific opinion is divided as to how much is too much in other situations. The whole issue is clouded by philosophical viewpoints and personal preferences intertwined with actual ecological or welfare concerns.

One important distinction to make in regard to this topic is whether the feeding takes place in people’s backyards or in protected areas. Currently there is no written policy to deal with wildlife feeding outside of protected areas. There are laws regarding the feeding of dangerous species within protected areas under the Nature Conservation Regulation 1994, but this legislation is open to much interpretation as the general public is unaware of species which are covered by the regulation.

So far most of the research and knowledge on the feeding of wildlife has been anecdotal rather than scientific. Of the literature published so far, much of it can not be treated as reliable due to containing bold statements about the consequences of feeding wildlife, despite not having any scientific justification to support them. Many statements favouring feeding as having benefits also need to be read with caution.

There are many times and situations where it is inappropriate to feed Australian wildlife because of the risk of considerable harm being caused to humans, individual animals, populations or ecosystems, especially in wilderness areas or other relatively intact natural areas. Disease risk to people and animals may be increased, or animals may lose their fear of people and pose a threat because of the increased chance of physical attack. There are also the nuisance and noise problems of unnaturally increased populations of a species to consider.

Timing - If you do decide put out foodstuffs it is recommended that you do so irregularly so that the birds don’t become dependent. Supplementing a bird’s natural foraging may help during times of hardship: droughts or cold winters. Only feed adult birds. Do not feed the juveniles, as they must learn to survive in nature without human help.

Types of food - Birds commonly eat nectar from flowers and/or insects (plus spiders, grubs, lerps etc) and seeds. Some birds also eat reptiles, frogs, rodents, small birds, nestlings and eggs and small mammals.

Birds do not naturally eat the types of food humans provide: beef, bacon, cheese, large seeds, bread and other human foods. Larger birds (butcherbirds, currawongs, crows, magpies) will accept these foods but ironically helping these species could cause the disappearance or local extinction of smaller birds.

Boiled eggs are a good supply of protein and vitamins and may be fed at any time to all urban birds.

Reasons not to feed native birds:

• you may increase their vulnerability to predators;
• if you put seed out in Australia, you mainly attract introduced birds;
• feeding without cleaning the eating surfaces daily can spread disease.
• Many of the various ecosystems and the interactions between creatures found within them are poorly studied or understood and feeding can cause an unnatural balance of species numbers in these environments.
• Some larger and more aggressive animals may come to dominate an area at the expense of smaller or shyer species.

Burke’s Backyard – Feeding native birds

Global Garden Australia - For the birds

Let nature feed itself - WIRES

Wildlife feeding – RSPCA Qld

Feeding Wildlife PDF

Why bread is bad

to be updated