Birds Don’t Need Bird Feeders. Some People Do.
A representative of the US Fish & Wildlife Service expressed unexpected concerns about bird feeders. Feeders share bacteria, spread certain diseases among birds, attract predators, and often end up feeding rodents and scavengers more than birds around homes. So why do many among us love bird feeders? To quote a wildlife expert: “The birds don’t need the feeders. Some people do.” we at Overlook Lakes understand that.
Our Founders gave us rules about bird feeders, rules that make sense to minimize problems for our buildings and residents—and wildlife. Our governing documents are simple and clear on this topic.
Here are the basic rules:
- All bird feeders must be kept in a neat and clean condition.
- No bird feeder may be directly attached to any part of a building.
- All units are limited to one feeder each.
- Bird feeders must use Niger (sometimes “Nyjer”) thistle seed only.
Wise and helpful guidance! We’re bringing this up at this time because several feeders we’ve seen are filled with food (e.g., cracked corn, sunflower seed, cheap mixes) that are largely spilled on the ground and attract rodents and small critters. That’s a no-no. Remember, only Niger/Nyjer thistle seed may be used. It’s 100% edible and leaves no mess on the ground. That ultimately leads to all of us enjoying more birds around us.
