Did you know that a well-intended scattering of seeds or breadcrumbs may not be the best things for our flying friends? With the 12th International Migratory Bird Day falling on the second Saturday in May, the City of Hermosa Beach, which sees more than its share of migrating birds, points out on its Web site a list of interesting facts that may ruffle a few feathers among ornithologists, but should ensure a safer spring migratory passage for birds including terns, hawks, cranes, warblers and sparrows:
1) Southern California provides an abundant, natural, year-round food supply for birds to survive without supplementation. If humans don't feed the birds, they will not starve; they will forage for food in other places, thus dispersing their environmental impact over a wider area.
2) When supplementary food is readily available year-round the natural cycles of migration (which are largely determined by seasonal food supplies) may also be disrupted. If birds become dependent on an artificial food source, young birds may not be taught how to forage for natural foods and so risk starvation.
3) Feeding birds can lead to the spread of infectious diseases that can be fatal to certain species of birds. Veterinarians say that without easy access to bird feeders and bird baths, infected animals will die and not infect other healthy birds in the process. Bird feeders also present potential risks to birds, such as window collisions and predators.
4) Feeding birds can attract unwanted guests, like rats.
So what's a bird-lover to do? The answer: Plant native plants that provide food, cover, nesting sites or a combination of resources. Native plants provide food at different times of the year to birds in the form of seeds, fruit or as invertebrate host sites. To access a comprehensive, regionally referenced database of plants that are particularly valuable to specific birds and other beneficial organisms, visit the Audubon Society's
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