Urban Bird Feeding: Connecting People with Nature

<div><p>At a time of unprecedented biodiversity loss, researchers are increasingly recognizing the broad range of benefits provided to humankind by nature. However, as people live more urbanized lifestyles there is a progressive disengagement with the natural world that diminishes these benefits and discourages positive environmental behaviour. The provision of food for garden birds is an increasing global phenomenon, and provides a readily accessible way for people to counter this trend. Yet despite its popularity, quite why people feed birds remains poorly understood. We explore three loosely defined motivations behind bird feeding: that it provides psychological benefits, is due to a concern about bird welfare, and/or is due to a more general orientation towards nature. We quantitatively surveyed households from urban towns in southern England to explore attitudes and actions towards garden bird feeding. Each household scored three Likert statements relating to each of the three motivations. We found that people who fed birds regularly felt more relaxed and connected to nature when they watched garden birds, and perceived that bird feeding is beneficial for bird welfare while investing time in minimising associated risks. Finally, feeding birds may be an expression of a wider orientation towards nature. Overall, we found that the feelings of being relaxed and connected to nature were the strongest drivers. As urban expansion continues both to threaten species conservation and to change peoples’ relationship with the natural world, feeding birds may provide an important tool for engaging people with nature to the benefit of both people and conservation.</p></div

Likeability of Garden Birds: Importance of Species Knowledge & Richness in Connecting People to Nature

<div><p>Interacting with nature is widely recognised as providing many health and well-being benefits. As people live increasingly urbanised lifestyles, the provision of food for garden birds may create a vital link for connecting people to nature and enabling them to access these benefits. However, it is not clear which factors determine the pleasure that people receive from watching birds at their feeders. These may be dependent on the species that are present, the abundance of individuals and the species richness of birds around the feeders. We quantitatively surveyed urban households from towns in southern England to determine the factors that influence the likeability of 14 common garden bird species, and to assess whether people prefer to see a greater abundance of individuals or increased species richness at their feeders. There was substantial variation in likeability across species, with songbirds being preferred over non-songbirds. Species likeability increased for people who fed birds regularly and who could name the species. We found a strong correlation between the number of species that a person could correctly identify and how connected to nature they felt when they watched garden birds. Species richness was preferred over a greater number of individuals of the same species. Although we do not show causation this study suggests that it is possible to increase the well-being benefits that people gain from watching birds at their feeders. This could be done first through a human to bird approach by encouraging regular interactions between people and their garden birds, such as through learning the species names and providing food. Second, it could be achieved through a bird to human approach by increasing garden songbird diversity because the pleasure that a person receives from watching an individual bird at a feeder is dependent not only on its species but also on the diversity of birds at the feeder.</p></div

Top candidate models and model averaged parameter estimates from the top models where ΔAICc <6, from a mixed model ordinal regression testing for the effect of every combination of explanatory factors and two interactions against how likeable people found 14 common garden bird species.

<p>Models are ranked from lowest to highest ΔAICc (highest to lowest AICc weight, _Wi).</p><p>Explanatory variables that contribute significantly (model-averaged coefficients) to the top-ranked model are marked as: *P < 0.05;</p><p>**P < 0.01;</p><p>***P < 0.001.</p><p>k is the number of model parameters.</p><p>RIV is the relative variable importance, which is the summed weigh of all models with a ΔAICc <6 that contain the variable of interest.</p><p>Top candidate models and model averaged parameter estimates from the top models where ΔAICc <6, from a mixed model ordinal regression testing for the effect of every combination of explanatory factors and two interactions against how likeable people found 14 common garden bird species.</p

Likert plots for each of the three motivations behind garden bird feeding.

<p>Where necessary we reversed statement scores, so that a high score always indicates support for bird feeding and/or welfare. We then pooled statements by motivation.</p

The likeability of 14 common garden species.

<p>Respondents were asked on a scale of 1–5 to rate how appealing they found each of the species (n = 327 ± 1.0 respondents). Species are ordered by the mean likeability score.</p

The relationship between the number of species that a person could name and (a) how regularly they fed birds, (b) how they agreed with the statement ‘I feel connected to nature when I watch birds in my garden’ (Strongly disagree “Str. disagree” to strongly agree “Str. Agree”), and (c) what proportion of the day they notice birds.

<p>The number of species that a respondent could name is also shown: 0–2, black; 3–5, dark grey; 6–8, medium grey; 9–11, medium light grey; 12–14, light grey.</p

Summary statistics from 331 respondents, showing the proportion of: a) respondents that noticed birds during different periods of the day and, b) the proportion of the day that most people noticed birds.

<p>Summary statistics from 331 respondents, showing the proportion of: a) respondents that noticed birds during different periods of the day and, b) the proportion of the day that most people noticed birds.</p

Three Likert statements as components of each of three different motivations behind garden bird feeding; a) psychological well-being benefits, b) a concern about avian welfare and c) nature orientation.

<p>For each statement we plotted the respondent’s score (strongly disagree to strongly agree) against how regularly they fed birds, because across statements this was the most consist predictor of motivation (* Statements 6–9 were only completed by people who fed birds).</p

The relationship between species richness and individual abundance of birds that people preferred to see at their feeders.

<p>Respondents were shown six pictures of varying numbers of individuals and species of songbird, and asked to rank them in order from 1–6 with six being the picture that they were most satisfied with and one that they were least satisfied with. We show the mean ranked score and the standard error of each picture and key differences between pictures illustrating people preferring: A) more individuals of the same species than fewer, B) increased species richness across the same number of individuals, C) fewer individuals of more species, than more individuals of fewer species.</p

Ordinal regression of responses to three Likert statements as components of each of three motivations behind why people feed birds, a) psychological benefits, b) welfare issues, or c) nature orientation.

<p>We show model-averaged coefficients and standard errors in brackets. Given the ordinal nature of the predictor variables the results show the outcome as compared to a base factor level (shown in second row of table).</p