Is overfeeding likely to damage their health.
sinse this cold weather started I have put out several types of food for garden birds , mostly shop sourced and including some lard based home mades and leftovers from dinner . There are no cats near us , and several of the birds have become quite tame, mainly blackbird and robin, however all of the bbs (about 15 different birds)now appear to be overweight , they are ROUND like mini footballs, their wings do not fold back properly and they waddle rather than walk. They are still agressive and all fly perfectly.
All the other birds, sparrows(lots), finches(green, gold), bluetits, dunnock, starling, collared dove and pidgeon the occaisional jackdaw , pheasant , duck and gull ( we are near the coast) all of these moderate their input and look normal
So its just the blackbirds that overdo the eating, but is it harming them?
Chris R.
Yes, being overweight can be damaging to birds causing liver damage etc. This is far more likely in pet birds than wild ones though, however I suppose it would be possible for a wild bird to become dangerously overweight if conditions were right. While you may think that they are flying perfectly, predators such as sparrowhawks have a far better eye at picking out a bird that isn't quite right, they may be that bit slower, that bit less manouverable that we can't spot but a predator can.
If you are concerned that the blackbirds are becoming overweight, I would try to reduce the amount of food that they are given. It is natural for birds to put on a bit extra weight over the winter to keep them warm but if they are waddling it sounds like they may have overdone it a bit!
Millie & Fly the Border Collies
Hi Chris,
I would say, "really don't worry". I don't ever remember seeing a wild bird "overweight" in the sense I think you mean. The blackbirds look round because they fluff out their feathers to trap warm air against their skin - you're right, they do look like footballs, but that 'bulk' is just feathers. The effect is less marked in larger birds because they have a much lower surface area to body volume ratio - which is what determines how much heat a particular bird loses.
Wild birds store and assimilate fats in totally different ways to mammals. They can undergo radical short term changes in body weight that would kill a similarly sized mammal. So carry on feeding, relax and enjoy the spectacle!
Hello Chris and welcome to the forum.The only way you can ever tell you're puting out too much food for birds, is if a lot of table and ground food is left over at night, or if you're having to throw away a lot of old food when you clean seed and nut feeders. Unlike us humans wild birds don't over indulge in the winter, although the visual changes with regards to feather fluffing can be very eye-catching.Paul.
Warning! This post contains atrocious spelling, and terrible grammar. Approach with extreme edginess.
I have several chickens and if I put out too much corn they just leave it - never mind the yellowhammers love it!
I don't think any wild birds will seriously overeat whatever you put out.I only wish that I could say the same for our dog who often makes nightime raids on fat balls!
Hi Chris, and welcome to the forum.
There is a picture of a fat robin in the gallery at http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/media/p/54813.aspx but he is just fluffed up against the cold. One of my garden robins is so fat he looks like he has swallowed a tennis ball, but again, it is just because of the cold.
petrirosso said:I don't think any wild birds will seriously overeat whatever you put out.I only wish that I could say the same for our dog who often makes nightime raids on fat balls!
Petrirosso ... welcome to my world!!!!!!
Cheers, Linda.
See my photos on Flickr
Hi,Im new to this forum and after reading the above answers Im glad Im not overdoing it on the feeding!!
I usually put out food approx 8.00 am and after walking the dogs about 3.00pm.
Great site.
Terry
Hi Terry
As Colin has mentioned already, and from my understanding all 'wild' non-captive birds eat their own body weight per day.
As humans, if we did that just imagine what we would look like LOL - not healthy at all.
Birds ability to consume 'fat laden' food is very different to humans ability to store fat etc..
So in the cold, frosty months birds will instinctivly know how much they should eat without us monitoring their eating habits.
My own flock of Sparrows are the largest fluff balls you have ever seen at the moment.
Makes me think of how cold they are feeling, over how much they are eating at the moment.
Regards
Kathy and Dave