Birders often stress over the importance of bird conservation, the proper identification of tricky birds, choosing new birding binoculars or just finding time to go birding, but do birds experience stress? Recognizing the signs of stress gives birders a better understanding of bird behavior and can help them reduce the stresses that wild birds face.

Causes of Bird Stress

Birds face a great deal of tension in their lives.

The most common causes of stress include:

• Food Shortages: A lack of food, or of nutritionally sound food, can weaken a bird's physical health. When food is not readily available, birds may need to travel greater distances to forage, and hatchlings especially may suffer from malnutrition or even be abandoned if food is scarce.
   
• Predators: Most birds are at risk from a wide variety of predators, whether native species or invasive predators. Those predators can be a hazard at any time, including while birds are foraging, bathing or nesting, and birds must always be on the lookout for danger.
   
• Unfamiliar Range: When birds end up far from their typical range and habitat, they face all the pressures of unfamiliar settings – where to find food, water and shelter, what predators are nearby and how to return to where they should be. This stress is especially high during bird irruptions or when birds end up as vagrants.
   
• Population: While many birds are highly social and do well in flocks, when flocks get too large, it puts pressure on individual birds to find enough food or the safest shelter. Overcrowding can also minimize breeding success if there are not enough mates, while underpopulation can be equally hazardous.
   

• Illness and Injury: Diseases or injuries create pain, immobility and other health issues that prevent a bird from foraging effectively or staying protected. If the bird is surrendered to a wildlife rehabilitator, the stress of confinement, unfamiliar surroundings and human interference can be damaging as well, though proper care can minimize that damage.
   
• Contamination: Oil spills and other chemicals such as pesticides or herbicides can contaminate not only birds' food supplies, but can get on their plumage and cause more stress. Even natural contamination, such as mites or lice, can damage plumage and cause tension.
   
• Confinement: Birds are not meant to be captive, and any confinement, whether in a rehabilitation facility, temporarily restrained for banding or cornered by a predator, can cause stress and panic.
   
• Competition: It can be stressful for birds to claim territory or work to attract a mate, particularly if populations are high and competition for limited resources is fierce. In competitive situations, birds that lose experience higher stress than more successful birds.
   

Not all birds face the same stressors at the same time, but there is always stress in a bird's natural environment.

How Birds Show Stress

Birds don't show stress in extremely obvious ways – to do so would show weakness to a predator, mate or competitor, which could be even more hazardous. There are subtle signs birders can watch for, however, to see just how tense a bird may be. Different species show stress in different ways depending on the exact circumstances, but common signs of stress include:

• Freezing or immobility
• Rapid fleeing or sudden takeoffs
• Aggression
• Alarm calls or other frantic sounds
• Nervous preening or twitching movements

Helping Wild Birds Relax

If a bird appears to be under extreme stress, the first step is to try and determine the cause of that stress. There may be a predator nearby or the bird may be injured, and immediate steps can be taken to help alleviate that stress. If the source of stress is not apparent, there are still many ways birders can help all birds relax.

• Keep a proper distance and do not try to approach birds more closely for better views. This is especially critical for nesting birds, as adults may abandon nests if they feel too stressed. Instead, use a spotting scope or binoculars to get a safe view.
   
• Design a bird-friendly landscape with suitable shelter, natural food sources and fresh, healthy water for birds to take advantage of. Minimize or eliminate chemical use, and choose a wide variety of native plants birds will easily recognize.
   
• Cover all reflective surfaces, including large windows, that may make birds stress over perceived competition when they see their reflections. Cover chrome surfaces such as car bumpers and any visible mirrors as well.
   
• Provide good food at clean, sturdy feeders. Take steps to avoid spreading diseases at feeders, and change food selections seasonally to meet birds' changing nutritional needs. If necessary, take steps to discourage bully birds that may usurp feeding stations.
   
• Work to discourage feral cats in the backyard and neighborhood, and take similar steps to minimize risks from invasive predators. Always keep pet cats indoors, and offer backyard birds protection from hawks.
   
• Support local conservation organizations that preserve regional habitat, providing sanctuaries for all types of resident and migratory birds, and participate in service projects to help keep habitats clean and healthy.
   
• Always practice proper birding ethics, including rare bird ethics, to keep birds' safety and health as the most important consideration in the field. Report gross violations that may endanger birds or damage property to the proper authorities.
   
• Support local bird rehabilitation facilities by fulfilling their wish lists or volunteering to help out, giving them better resources to help ill and injured birds.

By understanding what causes bird stress and how to recognize it, birders can easily take steps to keep birds stress-free and healthy.

Photo – Northern Mockingbird © OC Always