Birdfeeders

Everybody knows that hummingbirds drink nectar out of hummingbird feeders as well as taking nectar from flowers, but many people do not know that a substantial part of their diet consists of spiders and insects. Hummingbirds have the highest metabolism of any warm-blooded animal, so they must feed constantly during the day in order to satisfy their calorie needs. In spite of being quite small, hummingbirds are very aggressive and ready to attack other hummingbirds, larger birds or even humans who they think are threatening their food source. During times when many hummers are fighting for use of hummingbird feeders, not only is there a lot of territorial behavior, but they can get quite upset when we approach the hummingbird feeders even to fill them. In early spring, you may even find Orioles trying to feed at hummingbird feeders. If this happens, be sure to put up Oriole feeders and you will have them visiting all summer while they raise their young nearby.

Hummingbirds range from southwestern Alaska to the Straits of Magellan. However, the number of species definitely diminishes as you move farther away from the Equator. In North America, only the Ruby-throated hummingbird breeds east of the Mississippi, but there are 14 other species in the West and in the mountains of the Southwest. No hummers breed on the praires of the Great Plains. Most of our species are migratory and the Ruby-throated crosses the Gulf of Mexico and winters in Central America.

Small songbirds and hummingbirds must consume close to their body weight in food every day. Therefore, you can expect to see these birds at your seed bird feeders and at hummingbird feeders throughout the day. There will be increased traffic at daybreak, after a night with no food and at sunset in preparation for the night. However, seed feeders will visit tube feeders, hopper feeders, platform feeders, etc. will have periods of increased activity during the middle of the day. Even though these birds may hunt for food elsewhere during the day, they tend to visit bird feeders on a fairly fixed schedule. They seem to have daily routines just as we do. Also, birds seem to be especially sensitive to changes in the weather. During times of approaching bad weather, bird feeders will have much greater activity. Suddenly, tube feeders, hopper feeders, even hummingbird feeders, will have a frenzy of feeding before the storm hits.

We know that most birds find their food primarily by sight. Therefore, it is important to place our bird feeders in places that birds can easily see them. When we first begin feeding birds in our yards, it is important to place bird feeders not only in places that can easily be seen, but also near protective cover for protection. As birds become familiar with eating in our yards, then we can get them to come closer. After having 4 bird feeders in our yard for a few months, we decided to try a window bird feeder. I placed it on the kitchen window for we spend most of our time in that area. I was beginning to be discouraged when after 3 weeks, we had no visitors to this bird feeder, that we had seen anyway. Then one day I was sitting quietly reading at the kitchen table and heard a noise. I turned my head and there was a finch eating away at the window bird feeder! Soon, another joined him, but when my husband walked into the kitchen, they left. I realized two things. First, since the window is far from cover, it may take a while for birds to venture that far. Second, movement inside will scare them away. Now I have realized  there is much more activity at this window bird feeder than I had previously noticed for as soon as we walk into that room, the birds leave. If we stay seated quietly in the early morning or just before dusk, we see many visitors. It’s very exciting to have birds actually approach so close and I now love the window bird feeder most of all.

Pretty much all of a bird’s time and attention is spent eating or searching for food. Even during the breeding cycle, feeding is the major activity. For humans, a meal is one of many activities of the day. For birds, the urge to feed is instinctual and pretty much continuous. Birds are born with the knowledge of the specific way of feeding for its species, but are quite capable of learning the location of reliable food sources. This is particularly important to all of us with backyard bird feeders. If we put up tube feeders full of sunflower seeds, it won’t take long for birds to discover this food source and return to it repeatedly. As more birds discover these tube feeders, the information that this is a good food source is passed among other birds. The more birds that are attracted to the tube feeders, the more these tube feeders are noticed by other birds. As more birds become comfortable at our tube feeders, it is a good idea to supplement with other feeders, such as suet feeders, hopper feeders  and platform feeders. This will attract a wider range of birds with less competition at the various bird feeders.

Having bird baths in the yard adds another reason for birds to visit our yards. Even though bird feeders are the first attraction for most birds, bird baths will be busy indeed for drinking water as well as getting wet for preening of the feathers. Some birds visit bird baths for a drink more often than others. Our bird baths are visited often by gold finches, sparrows, mourning doves and jays who stop in for a quick drink. Birds have two basic drinking methods. By far the most common is to take a mouthful of water and then tilt the head back to let the water pass into the esophagus. When the head is tilted back, the glottis closes to prevent the water from getting into the windpipe. A few birds such as pigeons can suck in water as mammals do without tilting their heads back. Hummingbirds can drink from wet vegetation and aerial birds like swifts and swallows can grab a mouthful of water from a pond or lake while in flight.

In the spring, be ready for the courtship rituals that will take place in your area, especially around your yard if you offer full bird feeders. A few migratory species will arrive already in established pairs, but for most species, the courtship begins as the breeding season starts. Watch for females being attracted by the male’s territorial song or display. Once the male attracts a female to his territory, he will follow her around displaying for her, hoping to mate.  Even as the nest is built and eggs are laid, he will continue with his territorial behavior. With full tube feeders, platform feeders and other bird feeders, this can all be taking place in your yard. Add bird baths and you will watch a very busy spring indeed. Then, as the female is busy with the newly hatched chicks, she often calls and begs for the male to bring food. Later, the young birds will begin to visit your bird feeders.

There have been studies done to determine if all of these suburban bird feeders are causing an unnatural increase in bird populations. They have found that while bird feeders may account for the better survival rate of weaker individuals in a population, there are other pressures on birds besides finding a stable source of food. There is as of now no evidence that feeding birds is responsible for changing the population of native birds. Since this is a growing hobby, further study is definitely necessary.

Some people worry that birds that frequently visit bird feeders leave their native habitats and become dependent on the store bought seed they find in bird feeders. There is absolutely no evidence that birds depend on feeding from tube feeders, thistle feeders, hummingbird feeders, etc. They certainly do not forget how to find food themselves. They just take advantage of the easiest supply of food available which is often our backyard bird feeders. If you stop feeding birds, they will simply start to forage for themselves and maybe just move to your neighbor’s bird feeder.

Birdbaths are popular all year long as birds learn you have an always dependable water source. Even migrating birds might notice other birds at your birdbath and stop for a visit. Winter is also a popular time for birdbaths in cold areas. When all natural water sources turn to solid ice, your open water will draw lots of visitors. In these climates, it is well worth buying a de-icer to be sure your birdbath doesn’t freeze. Of course, keeping it clean and filled with fresh water is a must. Open water during winter is unusual in many areas, so a wide variety of birds will gather to drink from an ice-free birdbath. De-icers feature a built-in thermostat. Even on the coldest days, they will keep drinking water within the optimal drinking range for wild birds. A stainless steel guard is provided to shield wildlife from contacting the heating element. De-icers only come on when the temperature drops below35 degrees so over a winter, they are very inexpensive to run and offer a necessary oasis of open water to local birds.

Of course, many people love to watch squirrels in their yards and put out food especially for them. That can actually help keep them away from your bird feeders. However, squirrels are voracious eaters and can empty a bird feeder in no time at all. They are also very persistent and great at solving the problem of how to get to bird feeders! There are two ways that have been proven to work at keeping them out of bird feeders. The first is to use baffles. The bird feeder must be hung at least 9 feet away from a tree, building or anything else a squirrel can jump from. Then a baffle is mounted on the pole just below the feeder. Be sure it is heavy duty or a squirrel will chew right through it. The easier solution is to use squirrel proof feeders. They can be hung anywhere bird feeders are usually hung, including in trees which offer the best cover for song birds. These squirrel proof feeders come in many different forms. The most common is a tube feeder surrounded by a cage. The birds can get through to the seed perches, but a squirrel cannot reach the seed. There are others that are weight controlled. When a squirrel grabs the perch, his weight lowers covers over the seed ports. Still other squirrel proof feeders, such as the Yankee Flipper, begin to spin when the squirrel is on it. It spins faster and faster until the squirrel flies off. This offers entertainment for the entire family.

Almost all birds wet their feathers on a regular basis as part of their ritual of feather maintenance. That’s why it is so important to have bird baths in our yards. The experts seem to agree that birds don’t bathe to get clean as humans do, but it is more for oiling the feathers and preening. Each type of bird seems to have it’s own characteristic way of bathing. Songbirds generally prefer to stand in shallow water which makes bird baths the perfect solution. While standing in the bird bath, they dip their heads and flip water onto their backs, then shake their bills in the water while rapidly fluttering the wings which wets the flight feathers. The tail is also immersed and fluttered. By now the bird is completely wet and water has been flying all around. At this point, a good shake gets rid of all excess water. It is great entertainment to watch. After a few of these baths, it is highly likely that the bird baths will need refilling. At this point, the bird will move to a nearby tree, shrub or railing to complete the process. This is when they go through the preening ritual which eliminates the rest of the water, arranges the feathers and spreads the preen oil over the plumage.