|
Anyone can attract birds to their
yard by following some simple guidelines. Birds have basic
needs that must be met in order for them to feel comfortable
in your environment. First, they need to feel secure. Making
sure that there is plenty of cover in the way of leafy
shrubs and trees gives the birds a place to hide if a
predator should arrive on the scene. A mixture of deciduous
and evergreen shrubs will give them a hiding place all year
round.
Next, they need water. Offer it in a container
shallow enough that they can bathe in, and keep it clean so
they can drink it. Birds need a constant food supply. Birds
eat a wide variety of seeds and insects. Use several types
of feeders to attract a wider variety of birds to your
location. Fill each feeder with a different mixture of feed
to meet their needs.
Seed Varieties: There are several varieties of seed
that are used to feed birds. Standard Wild Bird Feeds
contain a mixture of the following seeds:
- White Proso Millets
-
small, nutritious grain easily digested by birds. Contains
essential amino acids.
- Wheat and Milo (sorghum)
- high in nutritional
value and favored by a large variety of smaller birds.
- Thistle (Niger) Seed
- high in protein and
fat. Thistle Seed does not resemble the familiar weed.
- Black Sunflower Seed (Confectionery)
-
contains oils essential for healthy birds.
|
|
TIPS FOR FEEDING
Placing Your Feeders: Be sure to
use sturdy, well-built feeders and hang them with sturdy
wire from a pole or tree limb; or mount them on sturdy
poles. Place your feeders near some shrubbery to make the
birds visiting feel safe. You can put your feeders near
windows or an area you frequent to enjoy them even more.
Keeping A Clean House: Keep feeders clean to reduce
the spreading of diseases among the birds. Wash feeders
regularly with soap and warm water. Clean any seed that
sticks to the bottom or corners of feeders. Change out any
seed that may be too old or that begins to mold. Change
hummingbird nectar weekly in cooler weather and twice a week
in warm weather. Also clean suet feeders often with soap and
hot water.
Attracting A Wide Variety: Different species of birds
require different types of feed. To attract the widest
variety of birds to your back yard during the year, set up
several types of feeders with different types of feeds. Fill
a hanging feeder with sunflower seed, set up a tray feeder
with mixed seeds and cracked corn, put out a suet feeder,
and hang a hummingbird feeder. Don't forget the water. All
birds need water to drink and to bathe. Keep it filled daily
with fresh water, and keep it clean. Cleanliness discourages
mosquito larvae from developing and hatching and keeps the
birds healthier.
Types of Feeders: A hanging feeder with sunflower
seed attracts chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, cardinals,
American goldfinches, purple and house finches, pine siskins,
grosbeaks, sparrows, and many others. A tray feeder filled
with mixed seeds and cracked corn attracts cardinals,
juncos, sparrows, mourning doves, pigeons, jays, crows,
blackbirds, bobwhites and others. Keeping a tray feeder away
from the hanging feeder will keep conflicts between
aggressive birds and the more timid birds at a minimum. A
suet feeder attracts woodpeckers, chickadees, titmouse,
nuthatches, mockingbirds, and more.
 |
Squirrels: Discourage squirrels from raiding your
feeders by placing them at least five feet high and eight
feet away from any potential springboards such as tree
trunks and limbs. You can use squirrel baffles on your poles
or wires to discourage them as well. Squirrels can also be
distracted by cracked corn put out away from your feeders,
or you may wish to put up a squirrel feeder in a distant
location from the feeders. |
Water: Birds need plenty of fresh, clean water for
drinking and bathing. If you keep a good supply of water,
you may attract birds that don't normally come to the
feeders. Be sure you set up your bird bath to be shallow
enough for the smaller birds, yet deep enough for the larger
birds. Set it up close to a place to perch as wet birds do
not fly well and need a place of refuge from predators.
Water should be changed frequently. In winter, use a heated
bird bath or add warm water daily. Do not use glycerin as it
causes the birds' feathers to mat.
|
