Banff mulls bird feeder ban
EDMONTON • Banff is surrounded by wildlife, a common sight both in the town itself and if you venture out into nature. But the town is considering new rules against luring birds into backyards with bird feeders, something that contributes to the richness of avian life and brings joy to many residents.
But it also attracts other animals, and which while picturesque, can get into trouble in a townsite.
Bird feeders feed much more than birds — there’s a cascade effect to food that lures in animals. An elk, say, might enjoy snacking on birdseed. Bears, though, which enjoy snacking on elk, might mosey into town looking for food or will try to get into bird feeders themselves.
“The birds themselves probably aren’t the core issue here, it’s more about the creation of an attractant, a food attractant,” said Darren Enns, manager of development services. “It’s the unintended consequences of bird feeders which I think we’re trying to address.”
The talk goes back to June, when a major report on wildlife-human interactions in the Bow Valley was released detailing the issues with animals gravitating towards the townsite. There might be some charm for tourists, to seeing elk and rabbits loafing around Banff, but it presents a very real problem. Elk, for example, can learn to associate the town with safety, and go there to calve. But cow elk can be aggressive to humans.
And, predators like to eat calves. And when humans fear for their safety, given the presence of large carnivores, bears, say, can end up being, euphemistically, “destroyed” to assuage fears. As it stands, feeding wildlife in national parks is strictly against the rules — and that actually already includes birds, said Bill Hunt, resource conservation manager with Banff National Park. “You can’t feed them directly, and you can’t feed them by making food available,” Hunt said.
It’s why there are signs to warn hikers against leaving behind garbage and feeding wild animals. It’s not just big animals like bears that you’re not supposed to feed — reptiles, amphibians, insects, you name it, you can’t feed it.
Which means that even without the bylaw, bird feeders are already against the rules, it’s just that punishing bird feeder people is unwieldy through the National Parks Act because those charges require a court appearance. “It’s a fairly heavy-handed approach,” said Hunt.
The town is hoping a municipal bylaw is a simpler way to crack down on bird feeders. The issue should come before council for debate in the first quarter of 2019, Enns predicted.
In Canmore, just down the highway from Banff toward Calgary, there are bans on bird feeders during bear season, and even in non-bear seasons.