Feed the Birds
Make a Feed Scoop the birds is not just tossing scraps out the door or throwing crumbs to city pigeons. If you provide the right feed your garden will soon be filled with colourful and chirping birds and you will be doing them a favour by providing them with food. Learn to provide for the native birds in your backyard. A lot of family fun is guaranteed.
Steps
- Purchase a seed feeder. Do some research to find out what types of birds live in your area. Also find out what type of seed to buy using the links below. Purchase a feeder to dispense the seed. (Again, do some research; there are hundreds of different types of feeders to choose from: platform feeders, tube feeders, etc.) Some of the more expensive feeders have "baffles" that prevent squirrels and other pests from eating from them. Many feeders are also made to dispense a certain seed, or for a certain species. For example, "thistle socks" are made to contain thistles only, and can only be used by goldfinches. Clean the feeders once a week with soap and water.
- Purchase a nectar feed. If you want to attract hummingbirds, you can set up a nectar feeder. "Nectar" is a solution with a sugar-water ratio of 1:4. Do not fill the feeders with too much nectar, and take care to clean your nectar feeder in the summer; sugar can ferment and kill the birds.
- Purchase the right feed. Do some researching on the types of birds you have in your location and find out what they eat. Some birds eat seeds such as sunflower, some eat fruit such as berries whilst others eat types of bugs such as mealworms. You can get wild bird feed from a pet store which are suitable for most native birds.
- Provide fresh water for the birds. Most birds are attracted to the sound of water and it's always good to provide some water for the birds to drink on a hot day. You can buy a bird bath with a faucet or make your own dripping system. During winter you can purchase a heated bird bath if it gets quite cold. Make sure that your source of water isn't under the feeders directly, or else it may become contaminated with seed and droppings. Keep it in the shade if possible to avoid evaporation.
- To make a dripping system fill a shallow dish with water and punch a small hole in the bottom of a bucket, fill the bucket with water and hang it from a branch or a supporting structure. Fill a shallow dish with water. Punch a small hole in the bottom of a bucket. Fill the bucket with water, and hang from a branch or supporting structure. The water should drip and not pour into the shallow dish.
- Provide peanuts for some birds. Many birds, such as jays and nuthatches, enjoy peanuts. String the shells together and hang on a branch, or simply add to existing feeders. Don't offer peanuts in the spring and summer, as parents will offer these to baby birds, which can choke on them.
- Provide suet to the birds. Suet, which is essentially beef or mutton fat, is a huge source of protein and nutrition to birds, and is very helpful in the winter. You can buy it in slabs, or make your own. Nail or attach with mesh to the trunk of a tree. Don't offer suet in the summer, as it can go rancid or melt. If the weather does get hot, make sure it is properly covered.
- Provide fresh fruit for the birds. Fresh fruit, as well as jelly, is popular, and will attract orioles and robins, as well as other birds. Dispense jelly in a shallow container, slice oranges in half, and impale each half on a spike (nail, small tree branch, etc.). These can also attract wasps and ants; clean frequently.
Tips
- Offer a wide variety of food to attract a wide variety of birds.
- Feeding the birds will not prevent them from migrating; birds use feeders to supplement their meals. Backyard bird-feeding has, however, caused some species, such as the Northern Cardinal, to expand their winter ranges.
- Nectar should not be dyed red; a red dispenser or spigot will suffice.
- Buy only high qualityCalculate the Cost to Adopt a Parrot; low quality (inexpensive) mixes will have fillers the birds will not eat, such as Milo, wheat, and too much cracked corn, resulting in a waste of food and money.
- Add a nesting box to offer protection.
Warnings
- As always, use common sense. Never feed the birds moldy seed or spoiled fruit.
- The multitude of songbirds at your feeders may attract hawks (Cooper's Hawk and Sharp-shinned Hawk). Don't be alarmed if the hawk attacks; let nature take its course. The hawk must eat as well. However, if this disturbs you, you can remove your feeders for a week or so.
- If a bird has House Finch Disease, remove your feeders for a week.
- If you find a dead bird or other animal by your feeders, call animal control and immediately take down the feeders. You can place bits of food in other parts of your backyard away from the usual place if you think you must keep feeding the birds, but be sure to not spread any bacteria left over by the dead animal and have it properly removed.
- Clean your seed feeders every week with soap and water to prevent the spread of pathogens. When you refill your feeders, make sure to tap the bottom while holding it upside-down to get rid of the old, lodged in seed. When you clean it, be sure it's completely dry before serving to avoid mold.
Things You'll Need
- Feeder
- Wild bird mix
- Peanuts
- Suet
- Fruit
