Interesting article :t:
I always advocate the natural approach as much as possible - there is nothing quite as satisfying as watching birds feed and nest in gardens/ restored or augmented habitat, that you have created yourself.
However I realise that people live in places where that is not possible (lack of land, or harsh climate extremes, or prolonged snow bound flora hibernation) , and so appropriate feeding/watering is necessary and a good thing.
As a kid at our house we used to feed kookaburras (strips of topside steak no less!), and seed mixes to parrots (crimson rosellas, rainbow lorikeets), etc. Note that these are rather gregarious and bossy species.
Later on when I grew up I dug out the lawns front and rear and provided bird baths, and planted a 90% native garden (including plants from all over the country) for my mum. The increase in insects, native bees, and bird species visiting and living there, even stopping over on migration, was astounding !
The whole gamut was present from the smallest and shyest Eastern Spinebills, and Peaceful Doves, through to large Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos eating Banksia cones.
The thing that always stuck in my mind is that one night we were 'spotlighting' the feeder to see what happened at night - what a shock! Apart from the expected Possums, there were RATS! that would dart in and out at high speed to the feeder and spilt seeds /shells on the ground. We removed the feeders after that, and once the garden was in - never looked back. However, we were lucky to have the space and climate to do that.
So RAT discourage your feeding environments people !
I agree with the author of the book that a lot more scientific research (not just citizen science) needs to be done on the macro level - cumulative, time series, health, composition, behavioural, distribution, and landscape scale, etc studies on the impacts ......
Chosun :gh: