Feeding and Nuisance Birds

Just like humans, birds can’t digest some foods. Birds can become malnourished and sick by eating ‘human’ food like bread rather than natural food sources like insects, snails and worms. Rotting bread in the water can also lead to more sickness and the spread of disease. 

Birds can become dependent on human feeding and can concentrate in high numbers. This can lead to aggressive behaviour, overpopulation and even delay migration patterns. Young birds can die if they lack skills to forage for food. Overpopulation then leads to over grazing, the spread of disease, loss of offspring and crowding out of other species’ breeding sites.

Feeding birds can cause issues in your neighbourhood. Large, regular bird gatherings can lead to ducks crossing busy roads and suffering injury or death due to vehicle strike, as they flocked towards artificial food sources. Flocking birds cause unwanted noise, mess and property damage. 

Uneaten decaying bread and other food matter can cause a build-up of nutrients (eutrophication). It only takes 1-2 grams of phosphorus from bread to affect water quality. Excess nutrients are linked to: 

• Algal blooms (including toxic blue-green algae) and aquatic weeds 

• Botulism and other bird diseases spreading between wetlands 

• Decreases in water quality 

• Reduction in dissolved oxygen leading to fish kills and other fauna deaths 

• Reduced animal and plant diversity. 

Australian Magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen) are a native and common species to Australia. They usually breed between August to October every year and it is during this period that male magpies will swoop to protect their nests, especially if they feel threatened. Be assured that Magpies only swoop during a very short period of the year, up to 6 weeks and only in proximity to their nest. 

How to avoid swooping 

• Never deliberately “scare off” or harass a magpie as this will likely only aggravate the situation and make the magpie more defensive. 

• If possible, plan your travel/walking route to avoid common magpie areas during nesting season. Magpies usually defend an area of about 100m from their nest. 

Locate the bird and keep watching it when entering its territory. If it swoops, do not crouch in fear or stop. It is best to adopt a confident stride and move through the area quickly without running. 

• Protect and cover your face with a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses. You can also carry an open umbrella for protection. 

Rainbow Lorikeets (Trichoglossus moluccanus) are not native birds to Western Australia but were introduced in the 1960s. As a parrot species, they are easily identifiable by its bright red beak and colourful plumage. They are widespread and commonly observed in loud and fast-moving flocks.

They are classified as pests because of their negative impacts to the region: 

• Threat to locally declining native parrots (Red-capped Parrot, Western Rosella and Australian Ringneck) from nesting hollow competition. They are known to kill nestlings of other species 

• Threat to nectar feeding birds and other animals from food competition 

• Potential to spread bird diseases 

• Damage to fruit crops and infrastructure 

In partnership with BirdLife WA, through the Operation Rainbow Roost project, the City is working to control the Rainbow Lorikeet population by reducing their nesting habitat and conducting palm tree maintenance. 

Australian Ravens (Corvus coronoides) are a native species in Australia, found commonly in both rural and urban areas in Western Australia. They are large and all-black birds. Their unmistakeable rattling call and tendency to flock together in big numbers can cause them to be seen as nuisance birds. However, they are not classified as threats or pests.