friendly reminder to not feed wild animals. “but they’re in the wild and alone so they must be hungry!” The wild animal is fine. It gets its own food. Please please PLEASE do not food condition wild animals, it is terrible for them. I can’t believe people still have to say this.
Adding to this (in complete agreement) to say that if wanting to feed animals is important to you- plant a wildlife safe garden and don't chase off the critters that do things like eat the seeds on your sunflowers or the ripe strawberries, blueberries or blackberries. Find out what native plants are missing from your area and put them in that garden if you can. Use a plant saucer and make a permanent puddle that you refresh and clean every week.
The issue is specifically that you do not want wild animals to see -you- as a direct source of food. That food cannot come from your hand, but you can use your hands to grow critter food that they can find by themselves on plants and in bird feeders.
Adding on in agreement, part of the issue can be that the foods bought from the store don't provide all the nutrients an animal needs. Sometimes bird feeders can be a means of disease transmission.
Planting native plants, especially willows, cherry-genus, and oaks helps a lot, because they provide habitat and both directly and indirectly feed birds by feeding the food web. But if you don't have space for a shrub or tree, herbaceous plants are also great!
If you don't know where to start, looking for keystone plant species is a great option. Here's some websites that tell you what's native to your ecoregion, at least if you're in:
North America:
Discover the importance of keystone native plants in creating productive habitats. Learn about key plant genera and their role in supporting
Or specifically the U.S.: https://xerces.org/pollinator-conservation/pollinator-friendly-plant-lists
https://map.homegrownnationalpark.org/
