Bird-feeding popular and helpful to birds

We’ve never rooted so hard for a squirrel in our lives. Animalkind

(Photo: Noppadol Paothong, Noppadol Paothong/Missouri Depar)If you enjoy feeding our feathered friends, you’re not alone.

According to national surveys, approximately one-third of Americans over the age of 16 engage in bird-feeding activities for at least part of the year. If you want to put that in numerical terms, that’s approximately 55 million people.

In addition to providing nutrition for birds, the approximately 1 billion pounds of bird feed that’s purchased annually provides a healthy boost to the economy. Americans spend more than $3 billion on bird feed and an additional $800 million on bird feeders each year.

But…