Can You Legally Feed Backyard Birds in Florida?

Feeding backyard birds in Florida is the easiest way to attract several feathered species, whether they are year-long residents or migratory. But as an enthusiast or an avid birder, you should know if you can legally feed backyard birds in Florida. 

You can legally feed backyard birds in Florida unless the species is federally listed or state-designated as threatened or endangered. There are some wild birds that you can’t feed in Florida. Feeding backyard birds shouldn’t violate other prohibitory laws.

Backyard Birds That You Can Legally Feed in Florida 

You can legally feed the following backyard birds in Florida:

• American bittern
• American goldfinch
• American robin
• Ash-throated flycatcher
• Black-throated green warbler
• Blue jay
• Blue-gray gnatcatcher
• Blue-headed vireo
• Brown creeper
• Carolina chickadee
• Cerulean warbler
• Chimney swift
• Chipping sparrow
• Common grackle
• Dark-eyed junco
• Eastern bluebird
• Eastern phoebe
• Fox sparrow
• Golden-crowned kinglet
• Hermit thrush
• House finch
• Indigo bunting
• Mourning dove
• Northern bobwhite
• Northern cardinal
• Northern parula
• Northern waterthrush
• Orange-crowned warbler
• Painted bunting
• Palm warbler
• Pine siskin
• Purple martin
• Red-bellied woodpecker
• Red-winged blackbird
• Ruby-crowned kinglet
• Scissor-tailed flycatcher
• Tufted titmouse
• Vermilion flycatcher
• Virginia rails
• Western kingbird
• Whip-poor-will
• White-throated sparrow
• Winter wren
• Wood thrush
• Yellow-bellied sapsucker
• Yellow-rumped warbler

This list excludes birds of prey or raptors like ospreys or barn owls.

An osprey isn’t exactly a backyard bird, and since its staple food is fish, it’s an unlikely candidate to be interested in food provided by birders. 

Likewise, barn owls aren’t drawn to feeders, and you can’t feed all owls.

No law prohibits you from feeding some shorebirds and water birds, but most species fare better in the wild.

It’s not ideal to feed the following birds, even though such an action won’t be illegal:

• American flamingo
• American white pelican
• Black-bellied whistling-duck
• Brown pelican
• Canada geese
• Common loon
• Fulvous whistling-duck
• Mottled duck
• White ibis
• Wood duck

Wild and Backyard Birds That You Cannot Legally Feed in Florida

Here’s a list of all the wild and backyard birds that you cannot legally feed in Florida:

The threatened and endangered species complicate the practicality of legally feeding backyard birds in Florida.

For instance, you can legally feed the following sparrows:

• Chipping sparrow
• Fox sparrow
• White-throated sparrow

But you cannot feed these sparrow species:

• Cape Sable seaside sparrow
• Florida grasshopper sparrow
• Scott’s seaside sparrow
• Wakulla seaside sparrow

Likewise, you can feed the red-bellied woodpecker, but not the ivory-billed woodpecker or the red-cockaded woodpecker.

You can legally feed five warbler subspecies, except Kirkland’s wood warbler.

Similarly, you cannot legally feed Marian’s marsh wren and Worthington’s marsh wren, although there’s no prohibition on feeding winter wren.

Can You Have Bird Feeders in Florida?

You can have bird feeders in Florida, but you can’t feed any species on the state or federal list of threatened or endangered species.

Also, you must follow the local laws about bird feeders in Florida so that you don’t inadvertently feed or attract other wildlife.

Consider the example of bears. 

The Florida Administrative Code Section 68A-4.001 prohibits feeding bears, either intentionally or inadvertently, such as disposing of food or garbage in a way that may attract the mammal.

The same rule makes it illegal to feed sandhill cranes.

Hence, you cannot use bird feeders or leave them in a way that could attract bears.

You must check your local laws, especially if you live in an area frequented by bears, such as the Florida Panhandle. 

Central Florida has an extensive bear range, too. The statewide bear range also covers some parts of North and South Florida and the Big Bend. 

There are bear ordinances in many regions of Florida, including the following:

• Apopka
• Collier County
• Fort Walton Beach
• Lake County
• Orange County
• Santa Rosa County
• Seminole County

Apart from the state and local laws, birders should be aware of any bylaws of their homeowners’ association.

Some local laws and property or homeowners associations require birders to remove outdoor bird feeders altogether, or they must be hung at a certain height.

The minimum elevation might be 10 feet. Plus, any bird feeder must be at least 4 feet away from nearby poles or trees. 

Thus, you need to get an appropriate bird feeder. 

Something like this AJArt Bird Feeder Hanger (available on Amazon.com) can be a perfect solution.

The hanging mount is a sturdy bracket you can install at any height on walls and other sturdy structures.

The total load capacity of this mounting bracket and its hanger is 25 pounds. 

Plus, you can toggle up to 8 angles with the swivel hook to align a bird feeder in the way you want. 

While such versatile mounts will help you to steer clear of any possible violation of the local bear ordinances, you can also successfully avoid incidental conflict or interaction with other animals that you shouldn’t or don’t want to feed.

Irrespective of the local and state laws, you shouldn’t feed any bird that may become dependent on you or people instead of searching for food in the wild.

While the law states that you should not feed Florida scrub jays, you must also avoid attracting swans and gulls. 

Gulls, swans, and other birds, like cranes, can learn to associate people with food.

Furthermore, you shouldn’t feed bread, fries, or any food that doesn’t offer much nutrition to these birds.

You should offer the right kind of food in the feeders, depending on the birds you wish to feed.

Sources

• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: Florida’s Endangered and Threatened Species
• Casetext: Section 68A-4.001 – General Prohibitions, Florida Administrative Code 68A-4.001
• National Audubon Society: When It’s Okay (or Not) to Feed Birds