Review: The Birds at My Table: Why We Feed Wild Birds and Why It Matters

The Birds at My Table: Why We Feed Wild Birds and Why It Matters by Darryl Jones
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Birds at My Table is not a facile book. It isn't filled with pretty pictures or simple ideas about feeding the birds. It asks hard questions about how, what, and when to feed birds, and even questions whether we should be feeding the birds at all. As Jones points out, feeding birds is probably the most common encounter that people have with wildlife. But how can we be sure that our feeding the birds actually benefits the birds? Are we feeding foods that are truly nutritious? Do our feeding stations spread diseases more rapidly? Does our feeding of birds foster overpopulation of some bird species? Does feeding disrupt migration, leading some birds to stay with an easy food supply only to have them perish due to extreme weather? Do our peanuts actually poison the birds we love with aflatoxins? This book answers some of the very real and very tough questions about our interactions with birds. As someone who used to cringe at watching my mother feed birds cake doughnuts (yes, not kidding, she fed them doughnuts) every day, this book is a timely discussion for anyone who is truly interested in benefitting the birds you want to enjoy.




I received a Digital Review Copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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