Garden bird feeding is practiced by millions of people globally, with evidence showing it can benefit birds when done correctly — but risks disease spread and inappropriate nutrition when done poorly.
Garden bird feeding provides genuine welfare benefits when practiced thoughtfully, but creates new welfare risks through disease transmission and nutritional provision when done poorly. Regular hygiene — cleaning feeders weekly in hot soapy water and rotating feeder positions — prevents the salmonella and trichomonosis transmission that can cause mass mortality in fed bird populations. Providing appropriate foods for different species and seasons ensures nutritional benefit rather than dependence on inappropriate human food. The aggregate welfare benefit of 50 million American households providing high-quality supplementary feeding with clean feeders is enormous — many tons of food supporting hundreds of millions of birds through cold periods and breeding seasons.