By Michelle Plant

With the ever extending reach of urban development and human land use, the frontier for achieving tangible conservation outcomes may be right under our noses - in our own backyards!  And, bird feeding could well be at the forefront of the next conservation revolution!

Urban development generally contributes to abrupt and enduring habitat modification, with dramatic impacts on the local ecology including bird assemblages.  People who extend offerings to wild birds share something very special in common with wildlife conservationists – a desire to connect with wildlife.  With backyard bird feeding rates in Australia consistently being reported between 30-60% of householders in urban and rural areas, this is a large group of people whose efforts can help biodiversity flourish in places where it is highly challenged.

Responsible bird feeding practices guide supplementary feeding to evolve from a ‘fast food’ outlet to a genuine conservation effort.  This is easily achieved by developing backyard habitat to supply a smorgasbord of natural foods, plants for protection and nesting materials, and fresh clean water.  This is creative bird feeding that is carbon neutralising and provides a retreat for birds and human inhabitants alike.

There are some simple steps to responsible bird feeding practices that can achieve valid backyard conservation outcomes.

Step 1.  Offer a complete dining experience – not just a hamburger.

Provide a smorgasbord by planting to suit your soil and local climate.

Holistic support for locally native birds requires a variety of locally native plants, including trees and / or shrubs and / or grasses, suited to the soil type.  (And / or, because not all soil types support every layer of vegetation.)

Gardens with an abundance and a variety of locally native plants suited to the soil type don’t require excessive watering, fertilizers or weeding.  An excellent resource to access information on soil types and plants to suit your backyard is the Council’s ‘Land for Wildlife’ officer.  (If you’re as lucky as I was – he / she will also be a highly knowledgeable bird enthusiast.)

A small native garden on a balcony or a larger native garden in the backyard or business surrounds will soon develop into a perfectly prepared menu for birds to select their meal from, not to mention provide a private retreat for the unfeathered inhabitants!  The added bonus is you have just invested in your own carbon offset program.

Add a fresh, clean water supply, some native fishes and frogs, and birds will not be able to resist the dining experience on offer.  Instead of one or two species, with a wide variety of natural foods available you might soon be creating a bird ‘list’ for your backyard, whilst indulging in some armchair twitching from the comfort of the lounge recliner!

George H. Petrides, Sr. founder of Wild Bird Centres of America comments -

 "The closer we live to each other, the closer we want to be to Nature."

Why not use the spaces between our homes, offices and units to make room for nature, and gain the personal benefits of using ‘Nature to Nurture’.

Step 2.  No smorgasbord is complete without the condiments.

Put down the sprays and let the bugs and birds flourish.

Many native bird’s diets include insects.  Fairy-wrens, Crimson Rosellas, Australian King-parrots, Tawny Frogmouths, Magpies, Butcherbirds, Kookaburras - the list goes on …  Dietary requirements can include seeds, fishes and frogs, native grasses, berries, blossoms, buds, bugs and their larvae.  Providing seed, nectar mix or mince provides limited nutrition, and limited resources to help birds thrive to the point where they can reproduce and re-establish to restore balance in modified environments. 

Many people who feed wild birds complain to me that they only have a limited range of birds visiting their feeder.  A variety of natural foods is the next key to bird feeding becoming a valuable backyard conservation effort.  So plant, encourage insects and lay out the welcome mat for your feathered guests.

Chemical sprays can be extremely toxic to birds – another good reason to avoid them.

Step 3.  To find the smorgasbord, there must be clear passage to the table.

Connectivity between backyards is essential for some species to make their way to enjoy the offerings.

Now this is the tricky part.  For most of us we have little influence over what goes on in the yard next door.  But research is showing that for many species of birds to move effectively through modified landscapes and to breed and flourish – there must be connectivity through backyards, parklands, waterways and towns. 

If a good relationship exists with the neighbour we could pass this information on and encourage everyone to start their bird feeding smorgasbord / carbon offset program.  If a good relationship doesn’t currently exist maybe toss a few seeds over the fence every now and then.  Yes, that is very naughty isn’t it!  I am sure though worse things could get tossed over the fence.  Seriously, with some thought and imagination this hurdle might not be too hard to get over, the ‘lead by example’ philosophy might work well.  Before long the neighbour will see you frolicking in your backyard retreat, be ‘green’ with envy and absolutely have to have their own.

Fences are another challenge to connectivity of course.  But I am reluctant to suggest we can all start pulling them down.  Baby steps.

Step 4.  Support is available to expand the carte du jour (menu).

Connectivity between bird lovers is also critical to achieving outcomes for bird conservation.

We are fortunate to have some excellent ‘go to’ points to access a wealth of information on Australia’s native birds.  The Birds in Backyard program developed by Birds Australia with the Australian Museum provides information about locally native birds, as well as further guidelines for backyard planting efforts.  Birds Australia and Bird Observers and Conservation Australia (BOCA) provide a wealth of information and support to get to know Australia’s native birds, not only in one’s backyard but in the neighbourhood and further a field. 

O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat are about to begin their new bird feeding activity.  The managed feeding activity with Crimson Rosellas and Australian King-parrots demonstrates responsible feeding practices, using a high quality seed product, specially designed feeding trays to ensure birds have a clean surface to feed from, and feeder and site hygiene practices to protect the health of birds and participants.  Leaflets will also be available on good practices for managing the backyard feeder.

Some inspiring books are also available “Attracting birds to your garden in Australia” by John Dengate and “Indigenous – making of my native garden” by Don Burke.

In essence backyard conservation provides a simple menu for low maintenance, cost effective bird feeding, providing a broad range of support for a broad range of bird species and other wildlife.  The benefits are ten fold.  A highly significant benefit of the smorgasbord approach (if well prepared with a variety of locally native plants – not just those with nectar producing blossoms) is that it doesn’t favour any particular species that might muscle their way to the table first and prevent smaller birds from getting a serve.

Step 5.  With a well balanced diet, fast food can be enjoyed as an occasional treat.

Birds will continue to forage naturally with natural foods available, so a treat can be offered without concern.

If offering supplementary feed, keep it simple.  Do a little research on the wild birds and wildlife of your area.  Find out what and when they eat, and where they eat from.  Try to simulate these aspects in your feeding activity, consider it bird feeding enrichment.

Birds and wildlife generally move through patches of habitat to gain their nutritional requirements.  They use a supply of food in an area, then move on to another next patch – giving the previous area time to rest and regenerate, naturally. 

The same principle can be applied to supplementary feeding.  Provide small amounts irregularly in different (if possible) safe areas of the yard.  Help the area regenerate by collecting debris from around the feeder, droppings must not be allowed to build up in any patch where feeding currently takes place.  Apply a regular cleaning regime to your feeder and the feeding area, if any bird is currently ill this can put other birds and your health at risk.  Personal hygiene is very important.  Garden spikes for hanging feeders help reduce the effort required to find a new, clean spot. 

Providing feed irregularly helps ensure the animal’s natural foraging habitats stay well tuned.  Birds must continue to search for patches to feed from, and if you have to go away for a few days or longer, you don’t need to worry that they were dependant on the feed obtained in your yard.

Responsible supplementary feeding can be likened to managing a child’s diet.  It is highly likely if we put out all the treats before dinner the main course isn’t going to be eaten or at least not much of it.  Good nutrition is essential to help grow healthy birds.  Try to match bird’s natural diet as closely as possible when selecting a quality, clean supplementary feed.  Nectar and insect supplements are available as are good quality seed products (with vitamins and minerals added) for a variety of bird species. 

If large groups of birds frequent your feeder it is worth considering spreading the same amount of feed between separate trays.  This will help to reduce aggressive or competitive behaviour. 

Human food products including bread, sausage meat or cheeses are not appropriate for feeding wild birds. 

Conscientious bird feeding can easily evolve into a highly valuable backyard conservation effort in a few simple steps.  To keep the ‘wild’ and the ‘life’ in wildlife, conservation cannot remain something that takes place ‘out there’ it can start at home and be readily attached to any activity we participate in, including bird feeding.

Wildlife Interactions has a consultant available specialising in backyard habitat development.