Feeding Birds Brings Nature Up Close

Feeding birds in your backyard brings the beauty and wildness of nature up close and with little expense.  The variety of color and drama that the bird feeder concentrates is very rarely found in the wild.

Attracting, watching and feeding birds is one of the most popular pastimes in the US.  Birds clustering around feeders can draw the interest of children as well as adults and is a great family activity.

If you want to attract a larger variety, then you need to place a wide variety of bird feeders and food around your yard. You will have more success attracting a larger variety by offering different feeding spot locations, types of feeders, and food selections.  There are many types of bird feeders, seeds and mixtures on the market.  The favored food, however, is the black-oil sunflower seed.  The small size and thin shell makes it easy for small birds to handle and crack.  Our food preference table shows preferred foods for many common species.

Part of the enjoyment of feeding birds is identifying them.  You can use their appearance, feather colors, pattern of colors, bill shape and even their flight pattern.  You can also identify them by their song.  A good selection for bird books, bird songs & feeders can be found at the Online Nature Mall.  Image the thrill of identifying your feathered friend by its call even when it’s not at your bird feeder, but visiting a neighbor or hiding in the bushes.

Many people restrict their feeding of birds to the cold winter months, but it provides enjoyment when continued throughout the year.  Some species, like northern cardinals, keep winter territories from which they don’t wander.  Stopping to provide food during the spring/summer when they are getting ready to mate is not fair to them.  A year-round feeding program will bring different species to your backyard as some winter visitors depart for their breeding places farther north and summer residents return from their southern ranges.

Even in the mild winter areas where many species remain throughout the year, spring/summer feeding of birds can be enjoyable.  Many birds become more colorful during the breeding season.  During nesting time they tend to scatter, but a nearby, easily reached food source could encourage them to nest near your home.  Then you will get the pleasure of watching the young ones leave their nests for the first time and eat at your feeder or watch as their parents feed them.

You should be consistent and not interrupt the feeding cycle in your backyard.  If your food source proves unreliable it may be difficult to persuade them to return.  When you have a successful feeding program the populations of birds in your yard will continue to grow.  Those you attract will eat the natural food supply around your yard, such as insects, seeds, and berries, but will also continue to visit your bird feeders.  When the natural food supply becomes low there is not much for them to fall back on except your feeders.  If you go away for a long period of time have someone continue feeding while you are away.

Along with consistency, cleanliness is important at the bird feeding station.  Moldy, spoiled food can be dangerous to them, and can attract undesirable pests like rodents.  Rake the ground beneath the feeders frequently to remove large leftovers and expose small pieces to the drying air.  Occasionally clean off feeders that have become soiled.  Rotate the feeder so that debris doesn’t concentrate in one spot if you are attracting many ground-feeding birds.