While you are patiently awaiting the nesting season to begin here are some specific feeders with specific food for specific birds!!!
*Have your kids help- They can choose the bird they want to see, then as a family buy or build the feeder. Finally let them fill the feeder with food.
All of this information came from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Build a birdfeeder…Save a bird =)
*TUBE FEEDER WITH BLACK OIL SUNFLOWER
goldfinches chickadees
woodpeckers nuthatches
titmice redpolls, pine siskins
*ADDING A TRAY TO THE TUBE FEEDER WILL ALSO ATTRACT
cardinals jays
crossbills purple finches
white-throated sparrow house finches
white-crowned sparrows
*TRAY OR PLATFORM FEEDER — WITH MILLET
doves house sparrows
blackbirds juncos
cowbirds towhees
white-throated sparrows tree sparrows
white-crowned sparrows chipping sparrows
*TRAY OR PLATFORM FEEDER — WITH CORN
starlings house sparrows
grackles jays
juncos bobwhite quail
doves ring-necked pheasants
white-throated sparrows
*PLATFORM FEEDER OR TUBE FEEDER AND TRAY — with PEANUTS
cardinals chickadees
grackles house finches
titmice house sparrows
sparrows starlings
mourning doves white-throated sparrows
jays juncos
*NIGER THISTLE FEEDER WITH TRAY
goldfinches house finches
purple finches redpolls
pine siskins doves
chickadees song sparrows
dark-eyed juncos white-throated sparrows
*NECTAR FEEDER
hummingbirds orioles
cardinals tanagers
woodpeckers finches
thrushes
*FRUIT
orioles tanagers
mockingbirds bluebirds
thrashers cardinals
woodpeckers jays
starlings thrushes
cedar waxwings yellow-breasted chats
*HANGING SUET FEEDER
woodpeckers wrens
chickadees nuthatches
kinglets thrashers
creepers cardinals
starlings
*PEANUT BUTTER SUET
woodpeckers goldfinches
juncos cardinals
thrushes jays
kinglets bluebirds
wrens starlings
*HANGING PEANUT FEEDER
woodpeckers
chickadees
titmice
Admist my bird feeder research (while my birdhouse sits empty) I found this disclaimer about feeding the birds straight from Wikipedia.
“Despite a widespread belief to the contrary, the use of bird feeders does not have a positive impact on bird populations and biodiversity. For example, depending on the feeder design and the type of feed used, species such as the House Sparrow can dominate the use of the feeder. As a result, House Sparrow numbers can become inflated locally where feeders are used.”
My interpretation is- yes, still feed the birds but get specie specific food, the U.S. does not need(or want) any more House Sparrows(or Starlings)
I still think my new mantra Build a bird feeder…Save a bird -rings true!!
Here are some things to think about when you are getting ready to feed the birds. An FYI: most of my information came from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Selecting a bird feeder:
Do you want to buy a feeder or make one- this can be as simple as throwing bread crumbs out
on your back patio to actually busting out the circular saw and making one that can hang from your maple tree to laying out some cash for the super duper squirrel zapping feeder =) Just kidding about the zapping part. It is better to use a feeder since food left on the ground is subject to mold and bacteria and other unseen things.
When you are picking a feeder its best to consider placement 1st. Where can you watch the birds easiest? Where would you most likely refill the feeder? Where are you ok with a mess? Is the area mostly squirrel proof?
Now that you know where you will put the feeder the next step is buying or making.
**Ask these questions before getting your bird feeder: Is it durable? Will it keep seeds dry? Is it easy to clean(my most important qualifier)? How much food will it hold(meaning how long before I have to get off my butt to refill it)? How many birds can it hold? And is species specific?
Durability: You can buy “disposable” plastic bag feeders; feeders made of cloth, nylon, vinyl and metal netting; clear, lexan, colored and PVC plastic tubes; ceramic and terra cotta; redwood, western cedar, birch, pine and plywood; sheet metal and aluminized steel; glass tubes and bottles. There seems to be no end to the type of materials used to make feeders. Pick one you like and that is safe for the birds!!
Keeping seeds dry: water gets into almost all feeders. Remember seed will spoil so check your feeder after rainstorms. You can improve the likelyhood of keeping your seed dry by adding a plastic dome to your feeder(which can also help deter those pesky squirrels). Also look for feeders that have drainage holes.
Cleaning the feeder: Remember with a bird feeder come birds that leave behind feathers and droppings!! A thistle feeder for goldfinches should be cleaned about once a month. Hummingbirds feeders requires cleaning two or three times a week. Sunflower and suet feeders may need to be cleaned only once a month. Use hot soapy water and let it sit if its plastic, ceramic or glass. Wood feeders need to be cleaned too. Otherwise use your eyes, if you wouldn’t give it to your pet bird it’s probably time to clean it out. I like easy!!
Food capacity: This is important to me(I can be somewhat lazy in the refill arena). The bigger the better exceptbeware that large volume feeders can lead to a waste of seed if it rains alot.
Number of birds & species: This is in your control. You can put out small amounts of seed, put out specialized seed or use restrictive feeders. If you use more than one type of seed, put them in separate feeders. Most birds prefer black oil sunflower. If you want to feed only cardinals, doves and white-throated sparrows, switch to safflower. If you want only finches, doves and white-throated sparrows, try niger thistle. If you want only jays, titmice and white-throated sparrows, try peanuts. The most non-selective feeders are the tray, platform or house feeders. Tube feeders with wire mesh are good for small birds. Remove the perches and only birds that can cling will feed.
So now that you are armed with the basics of choosing a bird feeder now we can temporarily change my slogan to Build a bird feeder… Save a bird =)
I knew I would eventually talk about bird feeding, first because my birdhouse is empty(nothing to watch there) and second food is a great bribe. I think everyone ramps up their bird feeding efforts in the winter. We don’t want our cute feathery friends to starve.
I also like thinking strategically- if I can get the birds to show up at my house (because of the yummy tasty bird food) then maybe they will fly around and see my spiffy new birdhouse I so lovingly built =)
So please enjoy my series of articles on bird feeders, food and more =)
Feed the birds and they will come!!!
I just read an interesting article in the National Geographic News by Robert Winkler. It spouts some interesting facts about where we are spending some of our money.
In a 2001 survey, 1/3 of Americans 16 years and older(that’s 66 million people) fed and photographed wildlife and spent 40 million dollars doing it!!!
Over the past 5 years wildlife watchers (aka birders) grew by 5% and spending on binoculars and birdhouses(ha I knew it) went up by 33%.
Vermont had the highest wildlife participation rate at 60%, Minnesota was 2nd at 54% and Alaska and Wisconsin tied for 3rd place with 53%
Among the 60+ million people who enjoy watching wildlife around their homes, bird feeding was the most popular activity. Americans spent $2.6 billion dollars on bird food and $730 million dollars on birdhouses, feeders and baths. WOW!
So why do we like birds so much? Paul Green the executive director of the American Birding Association says “birds are by far the easiest wild animals to find and watch. They’re also the most appealing, with colors and behavior that make them aesthetically pleasing and fascinating.”
This survey is conducted every 5 years by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and was based on telephone interviews given by the Census Bureau. I can’t wait for the newest stats! If you don’t want to build a birdhouse you can buy one =) Happy Birding!
Nest-box cameras- This is something that totally fascinates me!! I want to own one now!!!
The cameras fit inside a birdhouse and give you a fantastic view of its inhabitants. They use infrared optics and usually brodcast in black and white so that the birds can live in darkness.
These cameras then can be hooked up to your TV, VCR, or computer and you can record the nesting activity to watch later or you can watch it live. Cornell University has several nest box cams and they are so much fun to watch.
You can also set up a camera in front of your bird feeder or bird bath and get some great pictures. This is a great activity if you are a birder or if you have kids and you want them to learn about bird behavior.
Here is a link to a bluebird nest box camera from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Many many years ago my younger brother who was probably 4 or 5 was convinced he could feed the birds by hand. He had watched us throw out bread crumbs and saw the birds gobble it up. So one day our family watched very quietly from the sliding glass door as my little brother laid down on the patio and streched out his hand. He had put about 10 bread crumbs in his palm. He layed his head down and pretty much fell asleep. It was the cutest thing I have ever seen. Now he would probably never admit to doing this now that he is the strong muscular adult he is, but the preciousness and innocence of a child is always remembered!!
So I get to gloat a bit. As his older sister I tried a different method of feeding. Our family went on a trip to Colorado. We stayed in some condos near a lake. By one of the public porches there was a hummingbird feeder. I stood there for an hour watching the rubys zip and nip and fight and sip. I was absolutely transfixed. Every 10 minutes or so I would inch closer to the feeder. After almost an hour I put my finger up by the foot rest of the feeder and I was delighted when the hummingbirds actually landed on my finger to eat the sugar water. I have actually tried to do this at other feeders since but now as a wife and a mother its hard to make the time needed to wait for the birds =)
