Supplemental feeding of wild birds provides welfare benefits during food scarcity but can spread disease, alter natural behaviors, and create dependency, requiring evidence-based practices to maximize welfare benefit.
Wild bird feeding is one of the most positive welfare interactions available to ordinary people - providing supplemental food during periods of food stress reduces mortality and improves body condition for millions of individual birds. However, unmanaged feeding creates welfare risks: dirty feeders concentrate birds and amplify disease transmission; window-positioned feeders increase collision mortality; cheap seed with significant filler attracts birds without providing adequate nutrition. Evidence-based feeding practices maximize welfare benefit by using quality food, maintaining clean feeders, positioning feeders safely relative to windows, and providing water. The net welfare benefit of responsible bird feeding substantially outweighs the risks.