This is a great time of year to give a helping hand to birds. But Rosemary Conroy explains why you should limit the feed to our feathered friends.
Welcome to this week's edition of Something Wild. I'm Rosemary Conroy for the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests.
Many people worry about wildlife in winter. That's natural- it gets so cold out there! It certainly would be hard for us to survive. But wild animals have evolved many different ways to handle the weather. Still, some people think we feed birds, so why not other wildlife?
The most common animal that people try to help is the white-tailed deer. But deer don't necessarily benefit the same way songbirds do from free handouts. In fact, it can actually harm these beautiful mammals.
For one, deer are built and behave very differently. Birds, for example, eat seeds nearly year-round, so the sunflower and other seeds we provide aren't very different from their normal diet. But deer, with their four-part, cow-like stomachs, rely on a variety of bacteria to help them digest food. And, as the seasons change, so does their diet, and therefore, so must their bacteria.
Therefore, people who put out food that is different from their normal winter fare of twigs, buds and other woody browse don't realize that deer are literally not equipped to digest anything else. Sure, they will eat whatever else is offered, but it will take two weeks for their digestive systems to adjust. Meanwhile, the deer are getting full, but receiving no nutrition- which, at this time of year, can be dangerous.
Attracting deer to feeding stations also requires them to use up precious energy and often tempts them to cross dangerous roads. Large gatherings of deer can attract predators, and possibly help spread disease.
The best way to help deer, and other wildlife, survive, is to make sure they have quality habitat available all year round. Simply put, nothing can supplement that.
Something Wild is a joint production of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, NHPR and the Audubon Society of New Hampshire. For Something Wild, I'm Rosemary Conroy.
