wildlife spotlight

[TinoPup]

Have you ever tried using squirrel-safe feeders? It doesn't work. They're too smart for it.

Do you have any evidence that squirrels visiting bird feeders are is damaging any way? I haven't heard of this before and would love to see any evidence t back it up.

Yes. A close, nearby friend has 5 acres that she's turned into a native species habitat with a bunch of certifications, etc. The squirrel-safe feeders all work fine. She didn't have squirrels until she started using more feeders, and now they've gone back to rarely being seen since they can't get to anything.

There's plenty of links on google, including recommendations from wildlife organizations.

 

[birdsandbats]

There's plenty of links on google, including recommendations from wildlife organizations.

Not that I could find easily. Could you provide some?

I assume the main issue is the animals losing their self-sufficiency? This problem can be easily solved by not always providing food - if the bird feeders are filled inconsistently then the squirrels cannot learn to rely on them.

 

[pichu]

It *is* avoidable by using squirrel-safe feeders. It really isn't fine. Leave them alone.

first off, if by squirrel "safe" you mean squirrel proof, those don't exist. i've tried. multiple times. and what do you mean leave them alone? its not like they dont have a choice, they choose to do it, voluntarily.

 

[TinoPup]

first off, if by squirrel "safe" you mean squirrel proof, those don't exist. i've tried. multiple times. and what do you mean leave them alone? its not like they dont have a choice, they choose to do it, voluntarily.

They work fine at my friend's property, and she has a variety of them. Of course they do, any animal is going to choose an easy, free source of food, they're not stupid. But it has no benefit for the animal whatsoever, only you.

 

[birdsandbats]

But it has no benefit for the animal whatsoever, only you.

Is that a bad thing? In an era with nature deficit disorder and people tending to not engage with nature, is putting out food for some animals so that you can observe them a bad thing? No. In fact, I would argue it's a good thing, assuming it isn't causing some other harm somehow.

 

[TinoPup]

Is that a bad thing? In an era with nature deficit disorder and people tending to not engage with nature, is putting out food for some animals so that you can observe them a bad thing? No. In fact, I would argue it's a good thing, assuming it isn't causing some other harm somehow.

Yes, it is. Just go to a place where squirrels hang out, like a college campus or something or town park. It is not hard to find squirrels. Nature doesn't need to be "engaged with". Observe it naturally. There is no benefit to feeding them, being yes, only bad things can come from it.

 

[birdsandbats]

Yes, it is. Just go to a place where squirrels hang out, like a college campus or something or town park. It is not hard to find squirrels. Nature doesn't need to be "engaged with". Observe it naturally. There is no benefit to feeding them, being yes, only bad things can come from it.

But seeing nature from your own home has a lot of value. You also have yet to provide any reason feeding them is a bad thing.

Also, why do you think squirrels are so tame on college campuses? Because they get hand-fed by people, something I absolutely am against.

 

[Bisonblake]

But seeing nature from your own home has a lot of value. You also have yet to provide any reason feeding them is a bad thing.

Also, why do you think squirrels are so tame on college campuses? Because they get hand-fed by people, something I absolutely am against.

I too am against feeding wildlife, but when it comes to squirrels I don't think it has a large effect on their ability to survive in the wild. I see people feeding squirrels on my college campus all the time, but I also will see those same squirrels in the trees foraging for food. Most of the squirrels I see don't even come up to people actually. There have only been a couple times when I have been approached by a hungry squirrel. The only effect hand-feeding has on the squirrels is they aren't as afraid of humans as they should be.

Moving back to the bird feeder conversation. If what I have observed can be applied to all individual squirrels, why would bird feeders still be a problem? If you are worried about squirrels becoming dependent on food from bird feeders, just don't fill them consistently.

Another point that might be worth mentioning. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has a few live cams on YouTube focused on bird feeders they have set up. I doubt a prestigious university such as Cornell would be feeding wildlife if they knew it was affecting their ability to survive in the wild.

https://www.youtube.com/@CornellBirdCams/featured

 

[Lafone]

I follow the RSPB advice

Feeding Birds | What Can I Feed Birds? - The RSPB

Keep your garden birds healthy l The RSPB

including cleaning etc. It's sad to see the declining numbers of some birds in the UK particularly those who are common but have shrinking populations, so supporting them at the right time of the year with the right foods is a good idea. Squirrel proof feeders seem effective but as I live near the woods and don't see squirrels much across the gardens here, I suspect they get enough food there.

 

[birdsandbats]

I too am against feeding wildlife, but when it comes to squirrels I don't think it has a large effect on their ability to survive in the wild. I see people feeding squirrels on my college campus all the time, but I also will see those same squirrels in the trees foraging for food. Most of the squirrels I see don't even come up to people actually. There have only been a couple times when I have been approached by a hungry squirrel. The only effect hand-feeding has on the squirrels is they aren't as afraid of humans as they should be.

Moving back to the bird feeder conversation. If what I have observed can be applied to all individual squirrels, why would bird feeders still be a problem? If you are worried about squirrels becoming dependent on food from bird feeders, just don't fill them consistently.

Another point that might be worth mentioning. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has a few live cams on YouTube focused on bird feeders they have set up. I doubt a prestigious university such as Cornell would be feeding wildlife if they knew it was affecting their ability to survive in the wild.

https://www.youtube.com/@CornellBirdCams/featured

Nature centers, zoo, and other places that should know the ecological impact of these sorts of things put out bird feeder (that squirrels are usually visiting) all the time! Places like Cornell, Audubon, and The Nature Conservancy even encourage bird feeders, and say nothing about discouraging squirrels from the feeders.

I have never encountered squirrels that seemed dependent on bird feeders to survive (although I have seen squirrels that had become dependent on hand feeding). If it truly does become a problem, not filling the feeders consistently is an easy way to get around it. Squirrel-proof bird feeders rarely work, and when they do they usually exclude larger bird species, which has its problems, too.

 

[Lota lota]

Eurasian pymy owl

 

[HayBrand]

Personally, the best thing I've seen in the wild would be a Thorny Devil.

 

[ifesbob]

Humpback whale
resplendent quetzal
Olingo
blacktip reef shark
sea turtle
american bison (in the wild)

 

[birdsandbats]

american bison (in the wild)

Where?

 

[ifesbob]

Where?

When I was a kid (10-12ish), my mom, brother, and I went on a road trip out west (like, South Dakota/Mt. Rushmore "west"). I remember seeing some of them there.

 

[birdsandbats]

When I was a kid (10-12ish), my mom, brother, and I went on a road trip out west (like, South Dakota/Mt. Rushmore "west"). I remember seeing some of them there.

There aren't any wild bison in those areas anymore. You probably saw farmed animals or maybe some semi-wild restoration animals.

 

[ifesbob]

There aren't any wild bison in those areas anymore. You probably saw farmed animals or maybe some semi-wild restoration animals.

That feels pedantic, my point was simply it was noteworthy to me because they weren't zoo animals. They were definitely part of a restoration project but if they're not tamed/captive I really don't see how that's tangibly different than a true current wild-range American bison.

 

[birdsandbats]

That feels pedantic, my point was simply it was noteworthy to me because they weren't zoo animals. They were definitely part of a restoration project but if they're not tamed/captive I really don't see how that's tangibly different than a true current wild-range American bison.

Fair enough. Where'd you see Olingo?

 

[ifesbob]

Fair enough. Where'd you see Olingo?

Yeah I looked into it, the ones I saw in South Dakota are a restored population.

It was a Northern Olingo at San Gerardo Biology Station in the Children's Eternal Rainforest in Costa Rica.

 

[elefante]

i wanna know what the rarest, coolest, most interesting species you have seen in the wild, including color variants. some ive seen include:
black eastern gray squirrel
white tailed deer
coyote

The rarest species I've seen is a whooping crane. I saw a pair fly overhead and saw just enough for a positive ID.