Birdfeeders

In the spring it is a good idea to stop feeding suet. When it gets too warm, the fat can become rancid or the suet cakes begin to melt. By April, birds are starting to mate and build nests and we certainly want to encourage them to do that nearby so we can watch the baby chicks grow up during the summer. Those unused suet feeders become wonderful containers to use for offering nesting materials. Fill suet feeders with cut pieces of wool, twine and string (pieces should be no longer than 3 inches each). Hang the filled suet feeders on bushes and trees or near a nesting box. It won’t take long to see birds collecting these items and flying back and forth during next construction.

Birds need to take good care of their feathers. Some bathe in fine dust. When you find round impressions in loose soil, chances are very good that quail have been there cleaning their feathers. Others bathe in water, which is one reason why it is important to have bird baths in our yards. After getting thoroughly wet in bird baths or other water sources, birds will move to close by perches to attend to each feather individually. The bird will reach back to the preen gland, a small opening that secretes oil. The bird mixes the oil with saliva and then draws its bill across each feather, which cleans and waterproofs at the same time. This process is very necessary to the overall health and well being of birds, so just as we supply bird feeders to feed hungry birds, we should supply bird baths for cleaning of feathers as well as for drinking water.

Most of us are familiar with hummingbird feeders, but many people do not know that there are 1600 species of birds who eat nectar. That is almost 20 per cent of all birds. In North America, there are 53 species that will be attracted to a sugar water solution. These include hummingbirds, orioles, tanagers, grosbeaks, sapsuckers and some warblers. While these birds all eat naturally available foods such as insects grains, and weed seeds, they love the quick energy they get from our hummingbird feeders and oriole feeders. There is often discussion about whether or not to leave hummingbird feeders up year around. Some people fear that the hummers will not migrate as they should if the feeders remain available. This is simply not true. Since hummingbird feeders do not provide their main food source, but just extra energy, leave up those hummingbird feeders as long as they are being used. In our area, there are a few stragglers around the feeder most of the winter.

During the winter, natural food for birds becomes much more scarce, therefore it is a great time to keep well stocked bird feeders in your yard. Birds are creatures of habit. Once you start feeding them, you should continue to do so throughout the winter in order to maintain as many visitors to your yard as possible. Keep those tube feeders full to ensure the popularity of your yard to local birds. Check your feeders early in the morning and just before dusk. This is when birds are most active for they rest during the middle of the day. If you are going to be away for a week or two, hopefully, someone can fill the tube feeders for you. If not, your birds will not starve. They will simply find someone else’s bird feeders to frequent. Upon your return, it will take a while to entice them back to your yard.

Suet, which is basically raw beef fat, provides birds with energy and warmth during the cold winter months. This is a favorite food of chickadees, mockingbirds, nuthatches, jays, nuthatches, starlings and woodpeckers, as well as many other local species. Suet feeders come from very inexpensive cages to more expensive dual purpose feeders. Suet feeders can be filled with just raw beef fat which can be obtained from the local butcher or with suet cakes that are made to just fit into the suet feeders cage. I prefer using these inexpensive cakes for they are much easier than dealing with raw fat. Also, suet cakes plain or with nuts and seeds embedded in them. Suet feeders can be hung from the branches of trees, from other bird feeders, a balcony, etc simply attached to a tree truck or a pole. Be sure to keep suet feeders out of the reach of the family dogs.

All of the birds that visit your yard, except hummingbirds, will eat seeds, even if they really prefer insects. Seeds are high in protein, fats and carbs, so are a wonderful food source. Using tube feeders and hopper feeders will attract a great number of birds. If you only have one bird feeder, then the best choice for filling it is sunflower seeds. There are 3 types of sunflower seeds. The largest is the gray-striped, the medium size is the black-striped and the smallest is black oil. The black oil is the favorite because it has more oil and a thinner shell which is easier for birds to crack open. Of course, already hulled sunflower seeds are quite a favorite, but are much more expensive. If you have more hopper feeders or tube feeders, then putting a wild bird seed mix in one is an excellent choice. For the many birds that naturally feed on or near the ground, standing platform feeders are a good idea. Seed can be scattered directly on the ground, but tends to mold during wet periods. The easy draining platform feeders are a much better idea.

Orioles are an ancient bird species, and the only surviving member of their genus.  These orange or yellow feathered birds are distributed in areas all over the world, including North America, Africa, Asia, and Australia.  Orioles are omnivores, and feed mostly on fruit and berries.  In areas of the world orioles inhabit, residential oriole feeders contain sugar water, jams, and jellies; the birds are known for being quite fond of grape jelly. 

Orioles are territorial birds, and choose to nest near aggressive bird species to offer a degree of protection.  The typical oriole nest is a woven cup suspended like a hammock from a branch, and containing 2-6 oriole eggs. 

Suet is a common bird food, called suet cakes because of their unique appearance as blocks of compacted food.  Suet bird feeders often consist of one or more cages in which suet cakes are placed, and birds then feast on the suet by thrusting their beaks in between breaks in the cages, or climbing in the cages themselves.  This makes suet feeders a natural deterrent for squirrels.  However, this also means mice and smaller rats will climb into suet feeders just like a bird. 

Suet feeders attract a wide breadth of the winged community.  Birds of all sizes will flock to suet feeders to feast upon peanut butter, peanuts, cranberries, and the natural soy ingredients which comprise suet cakes.

In order to draw the greatest number and variety of birds to our yards, it is important to place bird feeders at more than one level, for different species normally feed at different levels. Placing a platform feeder on the ground will attract the ground feeders in your area. You will likely see quail, mourning doves, juncos, towhees and warblers. Of course, you may also have others checking out the offerings, but these species normally feed on the ground, so platform feeders suit them perfectly. The next group regularly feeds at the level of low bushes and undergrowth. If we hang a tube feeder in the range of 2-5 feet off the ground, it will be visited by cardinals, field sparrows, mockingbirds, winter wrens, finches and sparrows. High bushes and low branches in the 5-15 foot range are often visited by jays, goldfinch, grosbeak, cuckoo, robins, etc. I have found that tube feeders or hopper feeders hung from branches or on poles in the 5-6 foot range will nicely attract birds from both groups. If overcrowding becomes a problem, simply add another feeder a few feet away and all will be happy. Bald eagles, Baltimore orioles, hawks, herons, pine siskin, purple finch and flycatchers prefer the tree top level, but will certainly come down lower for a tasty treat from a hopper bird feeder or tube feeder.

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.