Don’t feed the bears! But birds OK, new Tahoe research shows

By SCOTT SONNER
Associated Press

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Wildlife biologists and forest rangers at Lake Tahoe and across the West have been preaching the mantra for decades: Don’t feed the bears! But a new study by scientists at the University of Nevada suggests it’s okay to feed the birds — at least the mountain chickadees on a ridge that bears their name on the north shore of the alpine lake near the California-Nevada line. Outdoor enthusiasts have taken to feeding the tiny black-capped birds that will land on the palm of outstretched hands to snatch seeds. Nevada researchers supplemented the birds’ natural food source with bird feeders the past six years and found no adverse impacts to the chickadee population.