How to Keep Birds Safe around Your Home
As much as we love having birds around, it’s important to make sure they are safe from harm.
Here are 15 tips on how to keep birds safe around your home:
1. Keep Your Cats Indoors
One of the biggest dangers to birds is outdoor cats. In fact, a study by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimated that domestic cats kill between 1.4 and 3.7 billion birds each year in the United States alone! While it’s not realistic to expect every cat owner to keep their feline indoors 24/7, even keeping them indoors at night can make a big difference.
2. Supervise Your Dog When Outside
Dogs can also be a danger to birds, especially smaller breeds. If you have a dog, make sure to supervise them when they’re outside, and keep them on a leash if possible.
3. Keep Your Bird Feeders Clean
Bird feeders can be a great way to attract feathered friends to your yard, but it’s important to keep them clean. Dirty bird feeders can spread disease, so be sure to clean them regularly with hot, soapy water.
4. Don’t Use Pesticides
Pesticides can be dangerous to birds, both directly and indirectly. If you use pesticides on your lawn or in your garden, try to find a more bird-friendly alternative.
5. Avoid Glass Windows
Birds often mistake glass windows for open space and fly into them, which can be fatal. If you have a lot of windows on your home, consider hanging netting or screens in front of them to prevent birds from flying into them.
6. Be Careful With Bonfires
Birds are attracted to the flames of bonfires, so it’s important to be careful if you’re having one in your backyard. Make sure the fire is completely extinguished before leaving it unattended and keep an eye on it to make sure no birds fly too close and get hurt.
7. Educate Your Children
If you have young children, teach them to be gentle with birds. Show them how to safely pick up a bird (if necessary) and release it back into the wild.
8. Spay or Neuter Your Pets
Spaying or neutering your pet can help to reduce the number of unwanted animals that end up in shelters, where they may be put down. It can also help to prevent your pet from roaming too far from home and coming into contact with wild birds.
9. Don’t Litter
Litter can be dangerous for birds in a few different ways. First, it can entangle them or restrict their movement, which can lead to injury or death. Second, it can contain harmful chemicals that can poison birds if they ingest it. Finally, litter can attract predators such as rats, which can pose a danger to birds.
10. Keep Your Pool Clean
Birds are attracted to water, so it’s important to keep your pool clean if you have one. A dirty pool can contain harmful bacteria that can make birds sick, so be sure to clean it regularly.
11. Bring Birds Indoors During Severe Weather
During periods of severe weather, such as hurricanes or blizzards, it’s best to bring your birds indoors. If this isn’t possible, make sure they have a safe place to shelter from the elements.
12. Keep Your Yard tidy
A tidy yard is a safer yard for bird. Overgrown grass and bushes can provide hiding places for predators, so trim them back on a regular basis. Also, remove any debris such as broken branches or leaves that could injure bird.
13. Don’t Use Birdlime
Birdlime is a sticky substance that is used to trap bird. It’s cruel and can be fatal, so avoid using it in your yard.
14. Be Careful With Fireworks
Fireworks can be very dangerous for birds. The loud noise can startle them and the bright lights can disorient them, causing them to fly into objects or get lost. If you must use fireworks, do so with caution and keep an eye on any bird that are nearby.
15. Build or Buy a Birdhouse
Providing a safe place for birds to nest is a great way to help them out. You can build your own birdhouse or buy one from a pet store or online. Just be sure to put it in a safe place away from predators and hazards.
Conclusion:
By following these simple tips, you can help to make your yard a safe haven for birds. By providing food, shelter, and clean water, you can attract a variety of different species to your backyard and create a space that is both beautiful and beneficial for the environment.