People who feed birds do so for a number of reasons.
One reason is to provide birds with the sustenance that they may have difficulty getting when the environmental conditions are bad for finding their primary food sources.
But, the main reason why people feed birds is that they love being around the creatures so they use food to attract them.
But, in choosing to feed birds, there are a few downsides that you should be aware of as well.
One is that, many homeowners, unknowingly put the lives of the birds in danger.
They do this primarily in their placement of the feeder.
For instance, if they place the feeder too close to trees or bushes, predators can take cover in these areas and launch an attack on the birds in your garden.
Also, many homeowners who love birds are cat lovers as well.
And, if they let their cat roam the garden, the cat can pose a danger to the birds as well.
For the homeowner, an inconvenience in setting up feeding spots for birds is that many people inadvertently are setting up foods for other creatures as well.
For instance, as the birds eat seeds from the feeder, often much of the food falls to the ground.
The food can attract and feed critters such as squirrels, mice, and rats.
In fact, if you haven't taken the right precautions to protect the food from other types of critters, you may soon find the birds being pushed out by creatures that you have no interest in protecting.
Another possible downside, depending on where you live, is finding the right food for your bird friends.
Perfect foods for many birds are sunflower seeds, peanuts, millet and so on.
If you are industrious, you can easily mix your own bird seed.
If you don't have the time however, you have to rely on the seeds that you buy from the store.
The problem is that many of the cheaper brands are light on the seeds and heavy on the filler.
When the birds begin to eat these cheaper brands, they will pick out the good seeds and leave the rest in the feeder or scatter it on the ground.
Overall, however, feeding of birds is the perfect past time for those who have the time.
And, if you set up your feeders right, you will be helping the birds as well.
In certain parts of the country, food can be hard to come by for birds in certain seasons.
They will, no doubt, appreciate you looking out for them.