State urging residents to ‘break up with your bird feeder’

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - Bird enthusiasts: beware. The state is asking you to cut ties with one common avian-attracting item.

“Get rid of the bird feeders. They cause more harm than good,” said Agawam Animal Control Officer Allison Strong.

One backyard ornament is for the birds and we don’t just mean that literally as the state is advising bird lovers everywhere to “break up” with their bird feeders . Strong added, “You’re making a nice little area for all of these animals to gather and you’re actually harming the birds.”

Strong explained that harm extends beyond just attracting predators like foxes and cats. “Nine times out of ten, what we’re putting in bird feeders is not their normal diet. There are diseases that they can catch being in close proximity with other birds,” sh