If you’re anxious about birds starving when you don’t offer them any bird food, don’t worry.
During cold winter months, birds are very good at finding even tiny sources of food.
Birds will not starve without your garden feeder, in fact, birds get the majority of their food from natural sources, which are wild seeds, insects and fruit!
Thus, you can take your feeder down any time, even though birds do like the easy food and the break from foraging!
Will Birds Starve If I Stop Feeding Them?
If you have a bird feeder and constantly keep it filled, I’m sure you have some loyal bird visitors!
You might even wonder, what would they do without my feeder. Yes, this is kind of you, but fear not!
Birds are wild animals at heart, and they will not rely on your feeder too much – but they will utilize it as a welcomed place to stop, grab a bite to eat, and catch their breath!
If you think about it, finding seeds and foraging all day is a tough job!
That all being said, most of what they eat comes from other places, such as seed patches from sunflowers, fields with grain, many insects, or a mix of other seed-bearing plants in the garden or woods. To sum it up – birds are great little foragers – and hunters!
Don’t worry if you’ve ever wondered, ‘will birds starve without my feeder?’ the answer is no. Your feathered friends may be a little disappointed, but they will be perfectly fine!
What Happens If You Suddenly Stop Feeding Birds?
Well, I feel relieved to know that the birds will be fine. But what will happen now?
They will likely continue to come and check the site for a few days and sometimes up to a week.
Don’t feel sorry about it, once they come and satisfy themselves that there is no food there, they will just move down to their next likely snack!
Why Do Birds Suddenly Disappear from Feeders? 4 Most Common Reasons
What happens if you’ve kept your feeder filled, and the birds have suddenly stopped coming?
This is a fairly common, and thankfully often temporary situation, that you can address in a few ways.
See below!
1- The Season/Weather
At times, it’s common to notice that feeders are devoid of birds during times of seasonal change.
Typically, seasonal changes will result in different species of birds appearing in the winter that appear in spring and summer, so don’t worry, they will always be back to your feeders very soon. Also keep in mind that in severe weather, birds may also skip the seeds and seek cover!
2 – A Predator
One of the main reasons birds stop using feeders is a predator or predator species in your area.
There is a chance a predator is around as its eyes were drawn to the birds at your feeder.
This may include cats, but somewhat morbidly, many predatory birds hunt songbirds and doves, consider them and easy meal.
If you suspect both the presence of a predator or a predator species in the area (look for leftover feathers or a hawk in a nearby tree), you’ll want to take the feeder down for 2 weeks.
Hopefully by that time the predator will have moved on and will no longer pose a danger!
3 – It’s Too Noisy
When a feeder is surrounded by lots of loud human activity, construction, or other noise, the birds may fly away and come back later.
They’re timid animals, and it’s much calmer and quieter, they’ll feel much safer!
4 – Old or Dirty Seeds in the Feeder
Lastly, even though birds generally aren’t picky eaters, they may just refuse flies.
Make sure to have the freshest seed and keep the bird feeder clean because mold and bacteria can grow on old seeds and make the birds very sick!
When Should You Put Your Bird Feeder Away?
You can certainly take your bird feeder down at any time, whether that be due to getting tired of it or the work that is involved.
There are also times that you should take it down:
- For instance, if you suspect that a nearby predator may be present. As you might know, birds are very vulnerable to predation while eating, and diligently maintaining a feeder with an approaching hawk (or cat) is asking for trouble.
- You may also choose to take your feeder down in heavy rain to refresh it with dry seeds. Most seeds will develop mold after getting wet, and wet seeds can be very dangerous!
- Lastly, you must take the feeder down if you see a sick bird at the feeder. Sick birds will have a constant puffiness, a dirty look about them, or be lethargic or idly settling.
A sick bird can quickly contaminate your bird feeder and cause even more illness to spread.
In This Case: Take down the bird feeder immediately. It may also be helpful to try and catch the sick bird gently, place it in a small box (in a quiet, darkened place), and contact a local wildlife rehabilitator for assistance!
Conclusion
Therefore, for those asking, ‘will the birds starve if I stop feeding them?’ there’s your answer.
Hopefully, that brings you relief.
There are even instances when it is advantageous to take down the feeders – like when there is a predator, like a cat or a hawk!