When you visit Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, you’re apt to encounter many feathered friends during your visit. To respect and help protect these species, one of the best things you can do is refrain from feeding birds along our coastline.

Although sharing your snacks with the birds may seem harmless or even kind, the practice can be harmful to them, to other native species and even to humans.

1) Protecting the birds

Every species has a different diet, and it’s best they each stick to it. Human food can be harmful or lead to malnutrition, as it doesn’t contain the nutrients birds need. That relates to the need to carefully place any trash or recyclable material in the appropriate bin. Mistaking your waste for a handout, birds may make a meal out of plastic or other trash that could be harmful or even deadly to them.

2) Protecting other wildlife and the beach

Feeding water birds can cause them to gather in larger-than-natural numbers, throwing the ecosystem off balance. This may cause a decrease in the native species the birds naturally feed on. It can also lead to an increase in bird feces on the beach and in the gulf . . . and no one wants that.

3) Protecting humans

When birds are fed on the beach, there is a danger they may lose their natural fear of people and even become aggressive. This behavioral change could cause harm to the birds and to humans. As tempting as it may be, do not try to feed the birds that share the beach area.

Moral of the story: It’s best if you eat your lunch and the birds eat theirs, but there is plenty of room at the beach for everyone! Learn more about best beach practices.