In a public appeal published on Monday, the Hungarian Ornithological and Nature Conservation Society (MME) is asking everyone not to feed waterbirds under any circumstances. They emphasize that feeding them is not only unnecessary but can endanger and sicken large numbers of animals.
As highlighted in the MME’s Monday statement, the lifestyle and survival strategies of waterbirds differ fundamentally from those of songbirds, which are typically seen at winter feeders. Therefore, unlike songbirds, feeding waterbirds is harmful. A long-term, one-sided diet of bread or other low-nutrient “foods” can make the birds ill; pollute the environment; deteriorate water quality; increase organic matter load in the water, which leads to marsh formation; and artificially abundant food supplies suppress their instinct to migrate in the fall, which is essential for surviving the winter.
Additionally, feeding increases overcrowding, aggression among birds, and the risk of injuries. It also attracts large numbers of waterbirds to areas that cannot sustain them naturally, damages the public perception of birds, and increases human-bird conflicts. Moreover, the excess food attracts rats and promotes their reproduction, a particularly serious problem in the capital this year.
According to experts, feeding waterbirds creates a self-perpetuating spiral of problems. Birds that are fed in the summer do not migrate in the fall. Observing the growing number of “hungry” birds—many of which are actually just lazy or already sick and flightless—people continue to feed them. As frosts set in, bird numbers continue to rise because migration and roaming patterns are disrupted by the lure of feeding sites, which further fuels people’s tendency to feed them. Near these artificially maintained feeding areas, more birds begin to nest each year, increasing the number of summer beggars, and so the cycle begins again with even more birds involved.
To inform the public, support municipalities operating beaches and promenades, and help the birds, the MME has created a free downloadable, printable, and displayable poster about the dangers of feeding waterbirds. More information is available at www.mme.hu, the statement notes.
(Source: MTI)
