Birds need some salt in their diet, but as with us humans, too much salt can be harmful and since birds are so much smaller than us, the quantity they need is minuscule in comparison to the amounts found in some of the foods we enjoy.
But, just as too much salt isn't good for us, it also isn't good for our birds, and even a little bit is potentially toxic to a small bird. Even one salty chip or pretzel can upset the electrolyte and fluid balance in a bird's tiny body, leading to excessive thirst, dehydration, kidney failure, and death.
DON'T feed birds:
We found that salt licks were used by 24 bird species, including pheasants, hornbills, rails, herons, doves, cuckoos, pittas, bulbuls, flycatchers, and estrildid finches. Raptors did not exhibit geophagous behaviour, except for the Brown Wood-Owl (Strix leptogrammica).
Birds have kidneys that are less efficient than mammalian kidneys at removing sodium, and if they take in too much, they need to increase their water intake. This means that directly ingesting salt particles can be lethal . Sadly, dead birds have been observed on roadsides after salt has been applied in winter.
In birding circles, it's common to hear about the 5-7-9 rule, which is something you'll definitely want to know! It refers to how you should place your feeder. The ideal spot should be 5 feet off the ground, 7 feet away from any structures (especially trees), and nothing less than 9 feet hanging above it.
You can help birds in the winter by providing food in your outdoor space. Kitchen scraps like mild grated cheese, bruised fruit, cooked rice, unsalted bits of hard fat, roast potatoes and dry porridge oats go down a treat with garden birds.
Covering your bird's cage at night can help retain heat and make your pet feel more secure. Use a breathable, insulated cage cover designed for birds, making sure to leave adequate room for ventilation.
You can give your birds plain, cooked pasta and rice or plain boiled potatoes. Pasta, rice, and potatoes are a great source of carbohydrates for birds but are aware that they need a balanced diet. Similar to us, birds cannot survive on a diet of just carbohydrates and water.
Here are perhaps the top 10 toxins for which I treat bird patients in my veterinary practice.
They can make wonderful pets, but cats roaming outdoors kill approximately 2.4 billion birds every year in the U.S., making cat predation by far the largest human-caused source of bird mortality.
Studies have shown that domestic and feral cats are the leading predators of birds in the United States. Cats, including house cats, big cats, and wild cats, will go after anything that moves. A bird's erratic flying patterns make them look very tempting to a cat's hunting instincts.
Birds need some salt in their diet, but as with us humans, too much salt can be harmful and since birds are so much smaller than us, the quantity they need is minuscule in comparison to the amounts found in some of the foods we enjoy.
Salt can be toxic to birds, sometimes resulting in death in less than an hour.
Too much salt can lead to excessive thirst, dehydration, kidney dysfunction and ultimately death. Even a small amount of salty chips, crackers or popcorn can be potentially toxic to a tiny bird. Instead, stick to the unsalted treat varieties.
Birds need about 12 hours of good, quality sleep each night. Covering a bird's cage mimics their natural nesting habits and protects them from light and drafts.
Birds (especially larger parrots) can generally tolerate temperatures as low as the 50s, but once the thermometer drops below that, they may get fluffed up (expending all of their energy trying to trap warm air between their feathers and their bodies to keep warm) and stop eating.
Small amounts of Fruit Cake and Minced Pies, dried fruit, unsalted nuts and apples and pears (even if past their best), grated cheeses (hard not soft), uncooked porridge, crushed cornflakes, bran flakes, Weetabix, Special K, and Rice Crispies (No Milk or Sugar!).
You can also put out leftovers such as dried fruit, or fruit such as apples and pears. Don't use anything mouldy or salty though, and if you have a dog don't put out dried fruit – vine fruits, such as raisins, can be toxic to them.
What bird foods should I offer?
Do not feed birds during the spring, summer, and fall. To reduce opportunities for bears and other untargeted animals to appear at your feeders, put out feeders only on the coldest days of winter, when birds can really benefit from the extra calories.
Consider adjusting your birdseed blend by incorporating food that squirrels tend to dislike, such as white millet, thistle and safflower seeds. Birds like cardinals and titmice enjoy safflower seed, and finches like thistle seed, so replacing the seed in one or more of your feeders may help.
As a general rule, we recommend hanging your bird feeder approximately 5 feet above the ground. This makes it easy for you to fill and clean the feeder while also making it difficult for pets and other animals to steal your bird food.