ACROSS THE NORTHWOODS - You might have a bird feeder or two in your yard. But keeping the bird population healthy probably isn't something you think about a lot. It turns out, you play a bigger role than you think.

Bird feeding is one of the top recreational activities in the country. But it's important for people to keep bird safety in mind.

"They can put out the right kind of food. They can take good care of the equipment that they use to feed and they can make sure that the ground around it's clean," says Jeremy Holtz, DNR Wildlife Biologist.

Just like humans...birds are affected by bacteria. Redpolls are more susceptible to salmonella than other birds. People need to keep their bird feeders clean to keep deaths at a minimum.

"I recommend that folks consider the kind of equipment that their using. If they're going to buy a new feeder, they should consider buying one that is easy to clean," says Holtz.

The best type of bird feeder is a simple tube feeder. They can be easily cleaned with ten-percent water bleach solution.

Story By: Melissa Constanzer