Feeding birds, owl baiting

Butch is awake from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

There was an interesting discussion on baiting birds, specifically owls, in order to grab a photo. Essentially, it is unnecessary to feed the birds at all. Bird feeders encourage predators, may contribute to disease, and causes an imbalance in the ecosystem. You disrupt the birds by watching them, especially in groups, or in a farmer's field. It affects the rodents they might grab. You habituate owls, getting them used to people and associating people with food. This is a bad thing.

"Estimated' is the keyword.

I believe we do encourage an imbalance by feeding the birds, and it is a selfish act. It's not one that I am willing to give up, though. Bird lovers demand I stop letting the cats outdoors. Perhaps, they should stop feeding birds, and they won't draw city cats to their yards! Our 16 acres shelters a lot of critters. The biodome is larger than that, with neighbours owning 600 acres apiece, for example.

There was a painful discussion on an owl group I belong to, and they started bashing cat owners. I gave up. "All cats should be indoors." Well, they need a life, too.
Non-profits are marketing themselves by appealing to those who hate cats. It's been demoralizing to me.
No one knows how many birds are killed by cats. The birds die bashing into windows, and that we can better determine from the bodies they pick up.

The Migratory Convention Bird Act, an agreement across North America, says we're not to kill, harass, or bother the birds in any way. This covers owl baiting, and handling critters.

Thursday March 09, 2017

AUDIO The big debate in the world of birders

Photographers can dangle a mouse and get a perfect shot of an owl flying toward the camera and pouncing on its prey. But is bird baiting bad?

You can tell when they bait the owls, as they use white mice! 

NOON: The big debate in the world of birders. Is bird baiting bad? https://t.co/dsYDjVWIGl

— Ontario Today (@CBCOntarioToday) March 9, 2017

THU: Is it wrong to bait birds?https://t.co/EZMejdfWpI #BIRDER #photography @ofah Shot on left taken w bait. Shot on right, no bait. pic.twitter.com/8PP8DJzgwf

— Ontario Today (@CBCOntarioToday) March 8, 2017

In the UK, they release raised game birds for hunting. Such old traditions.

Phil, writes:
So called “game shooting” is big business in providing jobs and revenue for those involved whereby there is zero likelihood of anyone tackling the subject in favour of the environment or the landscape at large.

MIGRATORY BIRDS CONVENTIONS ACT, 1994 AND RELATED REGULATIONS'

• Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994 ( 1994, c. 22 )
• Migratory Bird Sanctuary Regulations
• Migratory Birds Regulations
• Migratory Birds Hunting Regulations 2009 (Summaries)