The Evolution of Bird Feeding

5 Oct

Humans have always felt an intrinsic connection to birds.

They are in our artwork (think: Audubon’s Birds of America), our music (think: Blackbird by Fleetwood Mac), our language (think: “early bird gets the worm”), and the greatest joy for many of us – our gardens.

The History of Bird Feeding

The longest running form of organised bird feeding is found in Ancient Hindu tradition. Hindu writings describe “bhutayajna”, the practice of providing food for birds, often in the form of rice cakes. These provisions would also feed insects, dogs, and spirits. The belief was that feeding wild creatures would help to balance against accumulated negative karma. Many contemporary Hindus still practice bhutayajna today.

There are also records of Ancient Egyptians feeding wild birds. They dedicated entire fields to feeding Peregrine Falcons and the African Sacred Ibis. Both birds had cultural significance and were used in religious ceremonies.

Modern Bird Feeding

It took some time for bird feeding to resemble the way we do it in our gardens today. In 1825, John Freeman Dovaston designed what he called The Ornithotrophe. His invention was a modified cattle trough, made of wood, that he had fitted with rows of parallel perches. The Ornithotrophe is the first piece of physical evidence that alludes to modern bird feeding as we think of it.

25 years later, in 1850, the classic bird table design was invented. It was characterised by a horizontal platform for bird food to be laid on, usually with some kind of roof or covering to protect the food (and the birds!) from the elements.

We typically put more food out for birds in the winter, as we empathise for them having to cope with the tough conditions. Similarly, the UK’s harsh winter in 1890 led to newspapers printing advice to help birds survive, including recipes for food to leave out for the birds. This was the beginning of bird feeding at a national scale, and the start of the British Public’s passion for leaving food out for our garden birds.

Authors and publications caught on to this trend, and several books and guides went in to print to give advice on bird feeding. One such publication was “How to Attract and Protect Wild Birds” by Marin Hiesemann, released in 1908. These new texts, and their popularity, kicked off a commercial industry based on wild bird feeding across the UK, and spread to much of the English-speaking world. The 1918 publication “Food, Feeding and Drinking Appliances and Nesting Material to Attract Birds” by Edward Howe Forbush was the first book to advocate for year-round feeding, rather than solely provisions for birds in the colder months to help then withstand the winter.

The enthusiasm for feeding garden birds took hold of the public in the UK and beyond, since then the bird feed industry has grown enormously. In 2011, global bird food sales reached $4.07 billion, almost doubling in a decade.

The classic, tube shaped bird feeder that is widely used today first hit the market in 1969. The design was by Peter Kilham on behalf of Droll Yankees. This invention revolutionised the commercial production of bird feeders. This design has remained largely unchanged since then. In the words of the Droll Yankees website “In 1969, Droll Yankees created the first tube bird feeder, and this style remains a classic today“.

Problems with Bird Feeding

Using bird feeders is a fantastic way to encourage wildlife in our gardens, but it does not come without limitations. Existing and novelty feeder designs don’t prioritise safety and can be hotbeds for diseases to spread via consumption of food and drink contaminated by infected birds.

Trichomonosis is a deadly disease that is commonly transmitted on bird feeders and bird tables. It is caused by a microscopic parasite, Trichomonas gallinae, which infects the tissues in a bird's mouth, throat, and oesophagus, making it hard for them to eat and breathe. It has been found in a number of bird species but the most greatly affected are Greenfinches and Chaffinches, who have suffered marked population declines. One study suggests that Trichomonosis accounts for 62% of all greenfinch, chaffinch, and dunnock mortality annually in the British Isles.

Trichomonosis is not the only disease that is spread in gardens. Strains of the bacterium Salmonella Typhimurium can cause a disease known as salmonellosis in garden birds. It tends to affect seed-eating garden birds that live in flocks. Greenfinch and house sparrows are the most frequently affected birds in Great Britain. The main way salmonellosis is spread is likely to be through infected bird droppings contaminating food or water sources.

Finches Friend has redesigned birdfeeders to prioritise the safety and welfare of the wild birds, and to slow the spread of diseases that are affecting bird populations. We believe that supplementary feeding for wildlife should include disease mitigation strategies to ensure that the benefits to wildlife outweigh risks.

The Future of Bird Feeding

The future of bird feeding lies in prioritising bird welfare. Cleaning bird feeders every week plays a vital role in preventing the spread of diseases. Finches Friend feeders are high quality and easy to clean. The revolutionary design is built to come apart to allow easy and thorough cleaning.

Keeping an eye out for birds that are showing signs of illness is key too, and taking feeders in for a period of a few weeks to try and halt the spread of disease if you see any unwell birds. Garden Wildlife Health is project that aims to monitor the health of, and identify disease threats to, British wildlife. The project is a collaboration between the Zoological Society of London, the British Trust for Ornithology, Froglife and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. If you find unwell animals in your garden, you can report them to Garden Wildlife Health to help them track the spread of disease. There is more information about reporting sick or dead wild animals here.

As well as directly suppling food for birds via feeders, wildlife gardening creates mini ecosystems in urban landscapes and contributes to supporting wild birds. Plants are nature’s birdfeeders; they provide seeds, berries, and nectar throughout the year. They are a great source of food and shelter for native birds. As more and more natural habitat is destroyed, we may find more birds entering gardens and opting for human-supplied food resources. Proving water sources also helps birds, but these too can be a way for diseases to spread so it’s important to provide fresh water and clean them daily.

Participating in movements such as No Mow May keeps resources available for longer in nesting season, not cutting hedges back before bird have been able to forage on the berries, and asking Local Authorities to reduce trimming and habitat maintenance during vital times for birds all feed into creating bird friendly landscapes and provisioning for wild birds.

Feeding the birds in our gardens has the capacity to engage humans with nature and reenergise our relationship with the natural world. Spending time in nature is linked to benefits in physical health, mental health, and emotional well-being. Providing for the birds in our gardens gives something back to ourselves too.

The future of bird feeding is about putting the welfare of the birds first, using modern science and technology to guide us in how we support them and provide them with a safe area to feed.