Wild Bird Feeding: The Pros and the Cons (Round Table Discussion) (Discussion‪)‬

According to the Wild Bird Feed Association, North Americans purchased over 2 billion kilograms of birdseed in 2004. The US Fish and Wildlife Service valued birdseed revenue in 2001 at $2.6 billion and wildlife watching (including birding equipment, feeders, seeds, etc) at $7.35 billion. By comparison, expenditures on veterinary care for dogs, cats, and birds in the same period totaled approximately $19 billion. Although feeding wild birds is obviously a thriving industry, does it really help birds thrive? This round table discussion will look at the impact of wild bird feeding from the disease and conservation perspective. Four participants, all of who are involved in wildlife conservation, will comment. The participants are Patricia Bright, DVM, MS, Dipl ACVPM, The Wildlife Center of Virginia, Waynesboro, VA, USA; Julie Langenberg, DVM, Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI, USA; James K. Morrisey, DVM, Dipl ABVP (Avian), Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA; and Ian Tizard, DVM, PhD, Schubot Avian Health Center, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA. Although not specifically addressed, the issue of bird feeding and avian influenza is a topic that will need to be addressed in the near future, especially as it may pertain to aquatic birds. As more information on which avian species may act as vectors for the H5N1 avian influenza virus, recommendations about bird feeding may change. At this point, we hope this discussion will stimulate thought about the commonly performed, but not so commonly evaluated, process of wild bird feeding. Question: Do you currently have, or have you ever had, feeding or watering stations for wild birds? If so, when did you first start feeding wild birds?