Birdfeeders

Before purchasing bird feeders, it is important to observe your yard and see what types of birds are already present. If there are lots of hummingbirds around the flower garden, hummingbird feeders would be a wonderful addition to the yard. If your area has quail and morning doves that feed at ground level, platform feeders would be an excellent choice. For finches, thistle feeders are an excellent choice and for most birds, tube feeders are a great choice. Once the decision has been made on which types of bird feeders you want to add to your yard, the shopping can begin. The first thing to notice and wide range of styles and prices in each category. Of course the first consideration is how much you feel comfortable spending on bird feeders. After that, style and color are also considered. Birds don’t care about how bird feeders look for they are simply into function. Appearance is only important to us for how the bird feeders look in our yard. For function, it is not a good idea to buy the cheapest bird feeder you can find. Those made of plastic just won’t hold up and you will find yourself replacing them very quickly. A good feeder made with metal ports, acrylic or wooden body with no light weight plastic will be well worth the extra money.

As we get more and more interesting in feeding birds in our yards, we must become more aware of providing a safe environment for them. There are things we cannot control such as birds colliding with cell towers and cars, but there are many things we can do to provide a safe haven for our feathered friends. Since domestic cats are responsible for killing millions of birds every year, the first thing we can do is keep the cats inside. Set up feeding stations around the yard. Include tube feeders, platform bird feeders, suet bird feeders and hummingbird feeders. Tube feeders filled with black oil sunflower seeds with satisfy the majority of visiting birds. With a variety of bird feeders in place, many more species will be attracted to the yard. Be sure to plant a variety of trees and shrubs for nesting and protection. Adding nesting boxes will attract pairs in the spring. Be sure to furnish plenty of fresh water and the you will have a very inviting yard for birds, both permanent residents and those who are passing through on their migration.

We all enjoy watching birds gather in our yards and take turns at our bird feeders while we try to identify them by size, color, features, etc. Another way to find and identify a bird is by its song. Each species of bird has it’s own song, but they are not always easy to tell apart. Songs can help you find hidden birds, find where a nest may be or alert other birds to nearby danger. Particularly in the spring, we hear a bird’s song which is a series of musical sounding notes. This is used to define territory and attract as well as communicate with a mate. As you learn to identify the birds visiting, it is easier to decide what foods and types of bird feeders to put out in order to attract the greatest number of birds.

Even though this isn’t a bird that will ever visit our yards, this is an amazing display of the versatility of this bird’s ability to copy other songs, even those made by cameras and chainsaws! For this truly special video, go to http://videos.komando.com/2008/10/16/the-amazing-lyrebird/

Nature supplies plentiful foods for birds during the winter, but often it is spread over a great distance. For example, the white ash tree produces lots of seeds, but these trees can be spread out over a large forested area. In order to make finding food easier, sometimes birds work together in feeding flocks which consist of many different species. They typically spread out over a large area and alert the rest of the flock when food is found. This explains why during the winter you may suddenly have many species visiting bird feeders. If backyard bird feeders are filled with commonly appreciated food, such as black oil sunflower seeds or mixed seeds, the yard will be a busy place indeed. Different species also feed at different times of the day, so you are likely to have visitors to bird feeders at various hours. Diurnal birds are active during daylight hours, nocturnal birds only at night, and crepuscular birds feed at dawn and dusk. Therefore, different species can actually share the same area without conflict.

Keeping birdbaths filled with clean fresh water during most of the year is fairly easy. However, in the cold parts of the country, winter can cause problems with keeping birdbaths fuctional.  If there is snow on the ground, birds will do fine, but if the temperature is below freezing and the ground is bare, birds have a difficult time finding water. It is possible to keep changing the water in birdbaths to keep them from freezing. This will work, but requires a lot of work. The easier solution is to have a water heater. There are many electric heaters on the market designed especially for birdbaths. They are intended for shallow water supplies and are protected so as not to hurt birds. Don’t try to cut the expense by designing your own. Use a UL-approved heater designed to be immersed in water and be sure to use an outdoor extension cord. These heaters are relatively inexpensive to operate and keep the temperature in birdbaths at a constant 50-55 degrees. It is much easier to maintain these birdbaths during the winter if they are positioned near the house where there is a source of electricity and doesn’t require much effort to get to the birdbath in winter conditions.

It’s amazing to discover that many people have multiple bird feeders in their yards, but neglect to offer a water supply for visiting birds. Just as we like to have something to drink with our meals, birds have the same needs. Many birds will visit birdbaths without even stopping at a bird feeder. Even when food is abundant, water is often difficult for birds to find. They have specific requirements for a water supply. Most birds are only comfortable in water that is less than 3 inches deep and must have sure footing. They prefer sloping sides and need to have the safety of cover nearby, for after bathing, they cannot fly very well until they have a chance to preen their feathers. Therefore, it is easy to offer birdbaths that fit this description. A clay plant saucer will do the trick, but if there are cats or other predators in the area, a pedestal birdbath is preferred. These are available from very reasonable to quite expensive for the fancy ones. The birds don’t care which kind you offer as long as it is filled with clean fresh water.

Sunflower seeds are the most universal choice to feed our backyard bird visitors. They are loved by a wide variety of birds so should be offered in tube feeders, platform bird feeders or hopper feeders. It is most economical to buy sunflower seeds in larger quantities from a local feed store. The feed store will have much lower prices than most other sources. There are two kinds of sunflower seeds. The big striped ones are used for human consumption. The much smaller black seeds are usually sold for bird food and are also pressed for oil. If you offer sunflower seeds, you will have hulls collecting under your tube feeders or other bird feeders that contain sunflower seeds. Remember not to throw them in a compost pile or garden! They contain a substance that inhibits the growth of plants. We are happy to scatter them on paths through the garden to help control weed growth.

Window bird feeders are wonderful for easy close up viewing of birds. Children are especially delighted to have birds so close, but we all can enjoy this special treat. For people who are housebound, this is particularly exciting. Therefore, having birds come to window bird feeders during the cold winter months can be a favorite hobby for the entire family. Window bird feeders are made mostly of clear acrylic and attach to the window with clear suction cups. If hummingbirds winter in your area, window hummingbird feeders will see many visitors. Otherwise, the better choice would be window bird feeders intended to hold seed. These feeders are easy to fill and easily come off to empty and clean. They range in size from about 3.5 inches to over 20 inches.

There are two different reasons to consider adding more bird feeders to the yard. If you have been lucky enough to attract so many birds that they are fighting over the available bird feeders, you should consider adding some to decrease the competition. Overcrowding at bird feeders can lead to all sorts of problems. Some birds will fight among their own while others will drive away the less aggressive birds. Soon there will be more jays and starlings than you might prefer for they will drive most other birds away. The other reason to add additional bird feeders is for variety. If you know there are orioles in your area, adding an oriole feeder is likely to encourage them to visit your yard. If you want to attract doves and quail, either putting seed on the ground or in a platform feeder will draw them in. Of course, hummingbird feeders add wonderful entertainment to any yard as these fearless little birds will come quite close to humans.

There always seems to be debate on whether to fill bird feeders year around or only during the cold winter months when food for birds is scarce. We have found that even though there are seasonal fluctuations in the number of birds visiting our bird feeders, there are always visitors to our yard. From season to season, there are different visitors, depending on migration, availability of natural food available and number of species who stay all year long. Many people who fill bird feeders all year claim there is little or no difference in the amount of seed they use from one season to another. Besides, if you only have feeders out during the winter, you might miss the thrill of seeing the mating rituals and babies emerging from nests to find bird feeders for the first time. And what about the migrating birds that only appear at bird feeders for a short time as they are passing through? And what about those species that are only in your area during the summer? Without year around bird feeders, we would entirely miss the beautiful orioles that are only in our area from March to Sept.