Does Feeding Birds in Spring, Summer, and Autumn Lead to Dependency?

Bird Migration Is an Instinctive Behavior

The primary factor driving bird migration is the changing daylight hours in spring and autumn. In fact, birds possess a strong migratory instinct, triggered by the arrival of migration season. Even if confined in a cage, they will instinctively fly towards the direction of migration, colliding with the cage walls.

In typical bird migration patterns, they travel to breeding grounds in spring and to wintering grounds in autumn. Even if passerines discover your feeders along the migration route, they will usually stay for only a few days at most; in extremely adverse weather conditions, they may linger longer, or if they’ve lost significant weight during flight, they may need to replenish. In severe weather, feeders could represent a lifeline for birds.

Bird Migration Is an Instinctive Behavior

During spring migration, continuous bad weather often accompanies the emergence of plants, resulting in limited food availability. As a result, even birds that rarely visit feeders will come to feed. Ensuring a consistent food supply in feeders during spring and autumn seasons can attract local birds searching for stable food sources. Their presence, in turn, may lure migratory birds passing through the area.

Some friends may believe that food sources are abundant during the summer months. However, in reality, birds have high energy demands during the breeding season. They need energy for egg laying and foraging to feed their young (mainly insects). During this time, birds rely on feeders to supplement their food intake.