ALTERNATIVELY Don't feed garden birds at all - diseases contracted at bird feeders are driving ongoing population declines in several UK species, so the message about cleaning feeders isn't cutting through e.g. nature.com/articles/s4159… + other issues sciencedirect.com/science/articl…
ALTERNATIVELY Don't feed garden birds at all - diseases contracted at bird feeders are driving ongoing population declines in several UK species, so the message about cleaning feeders isn't cutting through e.g. nature.com/articles/s4159… + other issues sciencedirect.com/science/articl… https://t.co/W2KaIMGn4I
@Alexander_Lees Been doing our annual January bird survey for the local bird club. Your message about not feeding birds has certainly got through to a lot of people in north Lancs. Lots of villages much quieter as House Sparrows, finches and tits have deserted them.
@Alexander_Lees @MathewsFiona Many people think that the problem can be solved simply by cleaning feeders frequently. However, it is more likely that feeding increases transmission of pathogens between individuals by encouraging birds into frequent and close proximity.
@Alexander_Lees What caused the increases up to circa 2005?
@Alexander_Lees I also wonder what’s it’s done to the rodent populations.
@Alexander_Lees Would you generalise this message to other European countries?