成人快手

Humans have been accidentally feeding wild birds for millennia; any leftover food scraps to be scooped up by opportunistic, feathered friends.

The deliberate feeding of birds, however - placing seeds out on a feeder in the garden, taking crumbs to a nearby park or lake 鈥� is a more recent, cultural phenomenon. In some countries, it has deep significance and one of the most popular ways humans interact with wild animals 鈥� and it鈥檚 big business. In other places, it鈥檚 practically unheard of.

So, why do humans feed wild birds?

In this programme, Ruth Alexander delves into the many aspects of this human-animal interaction and asks the question; who鈥檚 benefiting more, the birds or us? Ruth speaks to urban ecologist, Dr Darryl Jones, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and to keen bird feeders Dan DeBaun, in Minnesota, US; Fung Sing Wong in Singapore; Bylgja Valt媒sd贸ttir in Reykjav铆k, Iceland; and Antony Tiernan, in Surrey, UK.

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

(Picture: Blue tit on garden feeder. Credit: Getty Images/成人快手)

Producer: Elisabeth Mahy