Photo by Erik Kalviainen / BearSmart.com
Bird feeders may not seem like a priority when managing black bear attractants, but the high-calorie, high-fat food source is exactly what black bears need. Bird seeds, especially those with sunflower seeds, peanuts, or suet, provide a dense energy source that bears crave – particularly when coming into or out of hibernation. Here’s why bird feeders attract bears:
1 High Caloric Content: Bird seeds are packed with calories, which are essential for bears to build up fat reserves for winter or to recover them as spring arrives. A small amount of bird seed can provide a significant energy boost.
2 Fat and Protein: Many types of bird seeds, such as sunflower seeds and nuts, contain high levels of fats and proteins, which are crucial for bears.
Photo by BearSmart.com
3 Easy to Access: Bird feeders are often easy for bears to access. Once they learn that bird feeders are a source of food, they may return repeatedly. Even “animal-proof” bird feeders will be attractive to black bears due to the…
4 Scents and Smells: Bird seeds and suet cakes can have strong scents that attract bears from a distance. Bears have an excellent sense of smell and can detect food sources from miles away.
A black bear works hard to get to a suspended bird feeder (1 of 5).
Photo by Erik Kalviainen BearSmart
A black bear works hard to get to a suspended bird feeder (2 of 5).
Photo by Erik Kalviainen BearSmart
A black bear works hard to get to a suspended bird feeder (3 of 5).
Photo by Erik Kalviainen BearSmart
A black bear works hard to get to a suspended bird feeder (4 of 5).
Photo by Erik Kalviainen BearSmart
A black bear works hard to get to a suspended bird feeder (5 of 5).
Photo by Erik Kalviainen BearSmart
Prevention and Alternatives
To prevent attracting bears, it’s recommended to take down bird feeders during bear season, store bird seed in bear-proof containers, and clean up any spilled seeds regularly.
If you want to support birds in your community without attracting black bears, here’s a few ideas:
1 Grow native plants. Create food sources and habitats for birds by providing them with the shrubs, trees, and perennial plants that they rely upon in nature.
2 Add bird safe window stickers. Particularly in urban areas, birds are killed when they’re unable to see glass and fly into windows. Adding bird safe window stickers, which are semi-transparent and don’t disrupt views from inside, can help protect significant numbers of birds every year.
3 Add bird houses or nest boxes. For the DIYer in the house, it’s a great project – for those who just want a bird house, there’s always great sales available at craft shows, outdoor stores, or even school fundraisers.
We all love wildlife and want to see animals thrive – but don’t feed the animals, feed the ecosystems so the animals can support themselves. Learn more about the impacts of feeding wildlife and how we change animal behaviour by clicking here. You can also learn more about attractants and how they may be creating negative situations for black bears and other animals by clicking here.
