Detroit, MI Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Feeder height
- At least 48 inches above ground
- Access rule
- Feeder must be bird-only accessible
- Code section
- Detroit City Code § 8-15-105(g)
- Enforcing agency
- Buildings, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Dept.
Summary
Detroit bans feeding wild birds except from a feeder that only birds can reach, mounted at least 48 inches above ground level: ground feeding and low feeders are both prohibited.
A person shall not feed wild birds other than from bird feeders that can only be accessed by birds and that are elevated at least 48 inches above ground level.(h)A person who is not the owner of any cat or dog shall not intentionally feed, make food available, or assist another person to make food available, outdoors on public or private property for the animal except:(1)Where the owner permits the person to feed the animal on the owner's property for short-term feeding that totals seven days in a 30-day period; or(2)Where, after notifying the City's Animal Control Division, the person is temporarily feeding the animal for less than seven days within a 30-day period to facilitate the humane capture and removal of the animal by the City. (Code 1984, § 9-1-105; Ord. No. 18-03, § 1(9-1-105), eff. 7-18-2003; Ord. No. 36-04, § 1(9-1-105), eff. 12-1-2004; Ord. No. 2021-23, § 1, eff. 8-10-2021)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 4).
Full Breakdown
Detroit's property maintenance code, Sec. 8-15-105(g), makes it unlawful to feed wild birds other than from a bird feeder that can only be accessed by birds and that is elevated at least 48 inches above ground level. The rule sits inside the Buildings, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Department's rodent-control and harborage-prevention provisions, alongside ratproofing and vermin rules for buildings and premises: the City treats scattered or low-level birdseed as rat food and harborage. Scattering seed on the ground or hanging a feeder rodents or other animals can reach from below violates the section regardless of intent.
Violations & Fines
BSEED cites ground or low-feeder bird feeding as a blight violation, adjudicated by the City's Blight Administrative Hearings Bureau and subject to civil fines under the Code's blight-violation fine schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I scatter birdseed on the ground in Detroit?
Why does Detroit regulate feeding wild birds?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Detroit
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Bird Protection in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Wayne County handle bird protection.