Does Feeding Wild Birds Make Them Too Dependent on People?

Have you ever heard that if you feed wild birds too much or too often, they could become lazy and unable to find their own food? You can relax. Richard Cole, the founder of Cole’s Wild Bird Products, answers that question in the video below. If you don’t have time to listen, we’ve included a transcript from his interview.

“Oh you hear that a lot. Don’t you that the bird will sit around eat and become lazy and then they won’t know how to forage for themselves. It’ simply not true. They’re not human. They don’t have the human tendency to do that. It’s not going to happen that way. They eat what they need. That means they’ll forage around for food in the wild. They’ll  also come to your feeders and pick up what they need. They’re not going to overeat. If they we’re going to overeat, you would see overweight birds unable to fly. That’s not gonna happen. It’s not the way they work. They eat what they need. Put out the food and enjoy watching the birds. They’ll be ok,” said Richard Cole, the founder of Cole’s Wild Bird Products.