Bird Feeding Articles and Tips

Squirrel Proofing

Squirrels can be a real nuisance around a bird feeder. They can jump 6-8 feet to get to your feeder. We carry many styles of feeders designed to keep them away from bird seed, but there are other things you can do to help your existing feeders. In general, position feeders away from buildings, fences, tree trunks and the ground. If your feeder is mounted on a pole, be sure the pole is at least 10 feet from any structure that a squirrel can climb and jump from. Also, put a baffle on the pole that is at least 4 feet up from the ground and right under the feeder.
If the feeder is hanging from a tree, be sure it is more than 4 feet off the ground and 10 feet from the trunk of the tree. Also, put the feeder under a baffle that is preferably at least 18 inches down the chain. These measures should work, but squirrels are ingenius and very determined!

Feeder Location

Hummingbird feeders can be hung close to any window for close up viewing. If you attract so many that they are constantly chasing each other, consider adding a second feeder a few feet away.
For other birds, hang feeders near a tree or large plant, for birds feel somewhat vulnerable when out in the open. Because birds find their food by sight, it can take a while for them to find your feeder. Be patient and be sure to keep the feeder filled with fresh, clean seed. If you are introducing a new feeder to replace an old one, keep both available until the birds get use to the new one.

Why did the finches leave?

There are a few reasons why finches disappear. If they find an abundance of natural food, they will be drawn to that. As it becomes depleted, they will return to your feeder. The other possibilities are easier to check. Carefully inspect your thistle feeder. Has it been cleaned out lately to be sure there isn't caked seed in it? This is especially important during wet weather. To help keep the seed from caking in wet weather, try adding a small amount of uncooked rice to the seed. Also, is the seed dried out? Replace with fresh seed in a well cleaned feeder and your finches should come back.

Water

Birds are always attracted to a good water source for both drinking and bathing. In winter, a heated birdbath will keep ice from forming. For the rest of the year, bird baths offer lots of enjoyable viewing as birds come and go. Be sure to keep them filled with clean water. If you can't use a bird bath, you can certainly improvise. Use any shallow container that can be kept full of clean, fresh water.

Basics of Bird Feeding

If you want birds to visit your yard, simply put up one or more bird feeders and they will surely come. Of course, it is important to know what kind of birds frequent the area you live in so you offer the appropriate foods. As your feeders are discovered, more and more birds will come to explore your offerings. During times of migration, you can easily be surprised by visitors that are simply passing through.

When you begin looking for a bird feeder, the number of choices can seem overwhelming, but it can be easily broken down to reasonable choices. If you know there are hummingbirds in your area, that is an easy choice. Nectar feeders are easy to fill and keep clean and can be hung quite close to the house, for hummingbirds have no problem approaching close to humans.

After that, your first seed feeder should be a feeder that has a few basic traits. Birds find there food by sight, so you want a feeder that birds can easily see contains black-oil sunflower seeds, which is a preferred food for most seed eating birds. You also should choose a feeder that is easy to fill and holds enough seed to avoid daily filling. It should be placed in a fairly open area so birds can see it easily and also see other birds feeding from it. Good choices are open platform feeders or hopper feeders as well as tube feeders. This first feeder needs to be in an open area so birds find it easily, but also fairly close to protective cover, such as bushes or a tree.

Types of Tube Bird Feeders

There are two basic types of tube feeders. One is specifically designed for the small nyjer seed that finches adore. It is either made of screen material that finches can cling to and pull out seeds one at a time, or is a plastic tube with perches and tiny openings for seed to be taken from one at a time. The other type of tube feeders is designed for larger seeds, either sunflower or the many mixes that are available. These bird feeders are made of plastic with perches and larger openings for birds to feed from. These feeders come with a wide range of prices, but it isn't a good idea to buy the cheapest. These will crack, be easily chewed up by squirrels and not last very long. If you invest a little more for tube feeders, they will last a long time. Look for strong plastic tubes, metal perches and metal guards around the feeding ports as well as metal caps for the top and bottom. Not only does the metal protect the feeder, but adds weight to the feeder which cuts down on the swinging that can spill seeds. Tube feeders with perches limit the access to seeds. If your tube feeders become so popular that there are birds fighting for a place, it might be worth adding other bird feeders to your yard to lessen the competition.

You Can Help Bird Populations!

Unfortunately, the populations of many species of birds are declining. There are certainly many reasons for this, but primary problems are loss of habitat, disease and collisions with man-made structures. Each of us can help by turning our yards into a safe sanctuary for birds. There are a few primary ways to accomplish this.

1. Create a safe haven. Since we know that habitat loss is the biggest problem, turning our yards into a friendly bird habitat is the best help we can give. This is accomplished by landscaping with native plants to help provide food and shelter. It is important to provide trees and shrubs for protection, shelter and nesting sites. Of course, also providing bird feeders, birdhouses and bird baths is very beneficial to birds.

2. Provide safe and clean feeding areas. It's fun to add various types of bird feeders to the yard, but necessary to pay attention to the bird population in your area. Many species of birds enjoy sunflowe seeds, so it is always a safe bet to start with a seed feeder such as platform feeders, hopper feeders or tube feeders. Keeping them filled year around will attract the most birds. It is very important to keep all seed feeders clean to prevent any possibility of disease transmission. Especially during the hot summer months, bird feeders should be cleaned once a month. They are easy to clean with a solution of 10% bleach in water or just with a vinegar solution. Be sure to rinse well and dry before refilling with seed. If seed hulls collect under bird feeders, it is a good idea to rake them up occasionally. Bird baths should be emptied and refilled at least every 3 days to avoid mosquito reproduction. If they are quickly scrubbed with a wire brush each time, they will stay clean indefinitely.

3. Protection from cats. Cats are a huge problem. Scientists estimate that it is quite likely that hundreds of millions of birds are killed each year by cats just in the United States. The easiest solution is to keep cats in the house, but we can't control our neighbors behavior. Be sure to put up bird feeders in areas that are not easily accessible to cats. Keep feeders in open areas where it isn't easy for a cat to hide. Another solution is to put up fencing or other barriers in these areas to discourage cats. If feral cats are a problem, there are rental live traps readily available to catch them and take them to the humane society. Unfortunately, collar bells and declawing simply don't work.

4. Reduce window collisions. Millions of wild birds are killed every year by collisions with glass windows. Windows often reflect the sky, nearby trees, etc. so birds think they can fly through them. If you find this is a problem with any windows in your house, the best solution is to attach some sort of decoration to the outside of the glass. There are many decals available for this purpose. For large sliding glass doors, this is a good idea to protect people from walking into them thinking they are open.

Planting Sunflowers for Birds

There are many sources to find out what plants birds love. Planting some of these in your yard will certainly help to attract birds. However, a really easy favorite is the sunflower. Planting these around the yard, in pots on a deck or balcony or anywhere you have a spot will be most satisfying. Sunflowers are easy to grow and birds love to pick out the seeds as they mature. Plant some near bird feeders and others much closer to the house. It is also a good idea to plant some early and some a little later so they mature at different times during the summer. Sunflowers add striking color to the surroundings and they are so easy to grow that children love to plant them and watch them quickly grow.

Many Birds Love Your Leftovers

Many foods that we routinely throw away could become welcome snacks for your backyard visitors. Putting these leftovers in platform bird feeders will draw mockingbirds, jays, chickadees, wrens, robins, blackbirds and many others. Often, the more aggressive jays, crows and mockingbirds will be the first to try a new food which draws them away from the tube feeders, temporarily at least. Any corn, fresh, canned, frozen or on the cob, well drained, is always a hit. Drained fruit salad, canned fruit or fresh fruit (bruised or too old for human taste is fine) is also a good choice. After that, experiment! Try pasta with sauce, any meat scraps, any egg dishes like scrambled eggs or quiche, left over pieces of sandwich, etc. If things like pasta are too runny to put on platform bird feeders, either put them directly on the ground or on a piece of large flat wood or plastic. Of course, white bread crumbs, plain cake donuts and bagels are always appreciated. Empty suet feeders can also be used to hold meat scraps or fruit pastries. Especially during the winter when other foods are scarce, these choices will attract many birds. Small pieces of clean, broken up egg shells are always popular as well.