Feeding birds antisocial?

[Feedthebird]

After not topping up the feeder for a while I’ve started feeding the birds again.
There are so many - I have parakeets, starlings, jackdaws, robin, sparrows and other small birds.
Due to the orientation of my house the feeders are close to the street. Is this antisocial as many of the birds are landing on the trees which are on the street.

YANBU - the birds need feeding
YABU - for encouraging birds onto the streets trees

Hanging side feeders with the proper food isn’t anti-social. Slinging scraps on the ground is.

Birds really shouldn't need feeding if there is food available from the environment around them. Improve the environment for their natural food - creepy crawlies and seeds, water, shelter and you'll have a wider range of bio diversity.

Then why not recreate that habitat rather than replace it with a false one?

My old neighbour fed birds in hanging feeders. Before long there were a lot of rats. She refused to deal with them or stop feeding the birds. She trapped them in a live cage and caught perhaps one every 2 weeks. I had a small garden that I didn’t spend much time in (steep hill) so they didn’t bother me much but must have bothered my neighbour on the other side as one day I saw Rentokill parked outside his house. The rats disappeared. I didn’t have the heart to tell my other neighbour why.

I mean that would be ideal of course, I do my bit for the environment what else could I do to recreate the habitat (genuine question not being goady). I love helping and saving animals and wildlife, the amount of bees and bats I have saved. The animals/insects have a lot against them.

Not at all. I love feeding the pigeons especially! We get huge plump chickeny ones in our garden that are so fat they waddle 🤩 and I love watching them sitting on the fence in pairs. Been lucky enough to hold a few (injured at the time but they got better). They can be very sweet.

@Megifer I completely agree about pigeon's but didn't dare say as they are not popular birds. They are sweet and oh so plump 😊 I had the pleasure of holding one too

Our bird feeders attracted rats and I won’t use them now. Instead I’ve planted blackberry and holly bushes so they can eat those.

Oh I love them. One of them took a few days to leave its little shelter I made and I was so hopeful it was going to stay as a 'pet' 😳 I'd even started clearing a space for a perch in the shed 🤣

Only miserable sods find this antisocial.

As long as the feeders are suspended high up it is OK. I think the risk of rats is much greater when people just chuck food across the ground at a late stage in the day, and it then just sits there uneaten overnight. The rodent population is usually much more active at dawn and at dusk, although can sometimes be seen at other times too.

@SomeCatFromJapan that is one very cute image! Spa time at Japan's

We don't have much space, about 15 m x 6 m but we have done the following:

Always a shallow bath of water. Absolutely no pesticide, very very occasional herbicide. We choose plants for their berries and seeds as well as flowers (goldfinches love verbena seeds). We don't cut back perennials until January. We leave logs to rot at the base of the hedge. Mow twice a year - lots of bugs live in tussocky grass and birds like bugs! We aim to have something in flower year round, at the moment it's ivy, in case bees come out of hibernation. Lots of little things. And birds boxes on sheltered north facing walls - they don't like to overheat.

@Allthecatseverywhereallatonce No Nettles Required is a really good book. https://amzn.eu/d/0tys3wW

Feeding birds and surrounding yourself in birds singing is lovely.
Anti social...only those who want to live in a non bird environment where we live in a sterile environment.
Omg we would attract rats more than bird feeders.
Do they not trap for rats in the UK?
A garden hose removes the bird poo or rain.
Sad is some peoples views if a bird in a tree crappings an issue🤣

Sometimes we need to he antisocial for nature. Long grass, unkempt gardens and green spaces, feeding birds, trees in gardens.

People are ridiculous.

Yes, would be a better world all round if there were no nature out there making all our plastic tat dirty.

I don't think it's antisocial unless it causes a problem for others such as vermin, but birds don't 'need' to be fed. They have thrived for millions of years since prehistoric times and will still thrive if humans suddenly vanished. It's just our need to feel superior and convince ourselves that the world can't possibly survive without us. No, they don't 'need' to be fed. They have evolved as opportunists and carrion scavengers to find their own food sources and will continue to do so long after we are gone.

@MrTiddlesTheCat same here always feed usually but current advice is to not feed them due to bird flu.

I’d love to have a bird feeder and attract more birds that aren’t pigeons. I’ve tried it before and the squirrels got to them all, even those hung down on a good length of string from the very longest branches on my trees. I’ve given up now.

If you felt there was too much activity and squawking and it made you wonder if it is antisocial in your street then maybe it is. Can you hang smaller feeders or fewer. There is a point where it can become antisocial , yes.

Got no problem with little birds feeding from bird feeders.

Do have a problem with the lady next door throwing food waste on the footpath next to my car every morning at 7am.

It means from 6am (or earlier in the summer when it's lighter) I get a flock of gulls and pigeons running around and fighting on my roof while they're waiting for their food, then they eat it and poo all over my car.

I've been off two weeks over Christmas and was looking forward to sleeping in some mornings to catch up on rest, but I've been woken early every day by the birds.

Yes, would be a better world all round if there were no nature out there making all our plastic tat dirty.

How rude! They were wooden!! 😂😂

A lot of people go up in arms when people say bird feeding is anti social, as they often envisage a little old dear with a nice bird table who feeds the little birds and gets enjoyment from it.
Those who ACTUALLY have to deal with the anti social side of this act know it’s the horrors who feel entitled to throw out copious amounts of bread- on the ground- front garden- and feed flocks of seagulls and pigeons. Not giving a shit that they’re defecating over everyone’s cars and properties!

I’d love to know how much joy your children are able to extract from a wooden trampoline…

It's a nice thing to do but not always the best for wildlife but needs to be done responsibly. Like people have said rats & squirrels are a problem.
Diseases like Trichomonosis & bird flu often spread at busy feeders that aren't regularly cleaned & sanitized causing large numbers of deaths. Also encourages birds to rely on it & reduces natural behaviour.
As long as you are aware of the problems & are being responsible about it & neighbours aren't complaining then don't worry about it.