While it can be a pleasurable experience to feed the birds, we must remember that they are wild animals and feeding can do birds a great deal of harm. Feeding wildlife inappropriate foods, like bread, rice or food scraps can cause dietary problems and sickness.
With a constant supply of unnatural foods:
- the young never learn to forage for themselves, which may lead to starvation
- animal welfare
- large numbers of birds in one area can increase the spread of disease among birds and to humans
Other issues caused by feeding the birds, including seagulls and pigeons, are:
- high nutrient levels in water caused by floating bread can lead to growth of blue-green algae, which is poisonous to wildlife and humans
- blockage of gutters and flooding
- increased numbers throughout central Dandenong
- feeding or leaving food for birds is a littering offence and fines apply
Feeding or leaving food for birds is considered to be a littering offence and if sighted by a Local Law officer, fines can apply.
How to enter a report
Complete Merit
Rubbish > Littering > Food Scraps
Ask and record in the description of Merit:
- Report can only be investigated if the officer is able to sight the offence when they attend the site. If the person can identify where the person feeding the birds resides, it will help the officers