If you’re worried, ‘will birds starve if I stop feeding them?’ never fear.
Even throughout harsh winter months, birds are adept at finding even the smallest source of food.
Birds will not starve without your garden feeder. As a matter of fact, birds get the majority of their food from natural sources. This includes wild seeds, insects, and fruit. So, you can take your feeder down whenever you like – although birds do appreciate the readily available food and foraging break!
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Will Birds Starve If I Stop Feeding Them?
If you run a bird feeder and keep it filled regularly, you’re sure to have some loyal bird visitors.
You may worry about what they would do without your feeder. While this is very kind of you, there’s no need to fear!
Birds are wild creatures at heart, and will not depend overly on your feeder. Rather, they will consider it a much-appreciated place to stop, catch their breath, and enjoy an easy meal.
After all, foraging for seeds all day is hard work!
This being said, the vast majority of what birds eat comes from elsewhere; patches of sunflowers, fields with grain, or various seeding plants and insects in gardens and forests. In summation, they’re very skilled little foragers – and often hunters as well.
No Need To Worry: If you’ve ever had the thought, ‘will birds starve if I stop feeding them?’ no is your answer. Your bird friends might be disappointed briefly, but they will be perfectly ok!
What Happens If You Suddenly Stop Feeding Birds?
So, the birds will be okay – that’s a relief. What will happen, though?
Most likely, the birds will continue to stop by for a few days, and sometimes for as long as a week.
This doesn’t need to make you feel bad; once they’ve made sure there’s no food available there, they will simply move on to the next likely snack!
Why Do Birds Suddenly Disappear from Feeders? 4 Most Common Reasons
What if you’ve kept your feeder stocked consistently, but the birds have suddenly disappeared?
This is a common and fortunately often short-lived problem, and there are a few things that could be responsible.
See below!
1- The Season/Weather
Sometimes, birds will disappear from feeders during changing seasons.
There are often different birds in the winter than there are in the spring and summer – but don’t worry, they’ll always be back. In extreme weather, they may also forgo seeds in favor of shelter!
2 – A Predator
One of the main reasons that birds disappear from feeders is a predator.
These can show up at any time if they happen to catch sight of the birds gathered at your feeder.
This includes not only cats, but somewhat tragically, many predatory birds hunt smaller birds like songbirds and doves, considering them an easy snack.
If you suspect a predator has been by your feeder (leftover feathers or a hawk nearby are signs of this), you’ll want to take it down for a couple of weeks.
By this time, hopefully, the predator will have moved on, and will no longer be a danger!
3 – It’s Too Noisy
If there’s a lot of human activity, construction, or other noise around a feeder, the birds might take off until later.
They are shy creatures, and when it’s quiet and peaceful, they feel much safer!
4 – Old or Dirty Seeds in the Feeder
Last but not least, while birds are not especially picky, they will sometimes turn down old seeds at a feeder.
It’s important to maintain a clean bird feeder with fresh seeds, as old seeds frequently contain mold and harmful bacteria that can make birds very sick!
When Should You Put Your Bird Feeder Away?
You can put your bird feeder away anytime you like, whether it’s because you’ve grown tired of it or it’s simply too much work.
There are also times when it’s advisable to put away your feeder:
- For example, if you think there may be a nearby predator. Birds are quite vulnerable when they’re eating, and maintaining a feeder with hawks or cats nearby could put them at serious risk.
- You may also wish to take the feeder down in heavy rain, so you can refresh it with dry seeds. Damp seeds develop mold quickly and can present a real danger!
- Finally, you’ll need to take your feeder down if you see a bird using it that is clearly sick. Sick birds will be permanently puffed-up, dirty, and lethargic.
Sick birds can easily contaminate a feeder, causing illness to spread.
In This Situation: Take down your bird feeder right away. You can also try to help the little guy out by gently catching it, putting it in a small box in a quiet place, and taking it to a nearby wildlife rehabilitator!
Conclusion
So, for those wondering, ‘will birds starve if I stop feeding them?’ there’s your answer.
Hopefully, it brings you some relief.
There are even circumstances in which it’s advisable to remove your feeders – such as a sighting of a predator, like a cat or a hawk!
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