How to Feed Birds by John Davis

8/10/2019 How to Feed Birds by John Davis

1/6

How to Feed Birds by John Davis

Bird-feeding Basics

More than 100 North American bird species spp!ement their natra! diets with birdseed" set" frit"and nectar obtained from feeders# Feeding birds can benefit them and a!so provides great birdwatchingopportnities in yor own bac$yard# %&earn how to ma$e yor bac$yard bird friend!y#'

(ften" peop!e thin$ of feeding birds in the winter when their natra! food spp!ies are scarce# Bt manybirds a!so visit feeders dring their spring and fa!! migrations and dring smmer whi!e they arenesting" so yo may en)oy $eeping feeders p a!! throgh the year" offering different types of foodsdring different seasons#

*o $eep birds coming bac$ to yor feeders in any season" provide them with these three essentia!e!ements+

A variety of ,a!ity seed and other foods# Fresh water for drin$ing and bathing# Amp!e cover" preferab!y provided by native p!ants# Native p!ants a!so provide potentia! nesting sitesand a sorce of natra! food#

eep in mind that birdfeeders a!so present potentia! ris$s to birds" inc!ding window co!!isions"predation" and e.posre to disease# /.p!ore the pages be!ow for more information abot how to attractbirds and $eep them safe#

hoosing a Feeder

Fo!!owing are a variety of feeders to accommodate specific types of birds and their diets# hoosingmore than one wi!! he!p attract more species and avoid feeder congestion#

rond feeders

*hese simp!e screen-bottomed trays typica!!y sit severa! inches off the grond or yor dec$ and he!p to$eep grain or seeds and bird droppings from coming in contact with each other# 2ome feeders havecovers to $eep ot snow3 others may have wire mesh to $eep ot s,irre!s and !arge birds !i$e crows#rond feeding tab!es sho!d be p!aced in open areas at !east 10 feet from the nearest tree or shrb togive birds a chance to f!ee predators# Doves" )ncos" sparrows" towhees" go!dfinches and cardina!s area!! !i$e!y to visit grond feeders# Avoid sing grond feeders if cats are !i$e!y to ponce from nearbyshrbs#


2/6

2nf!ower-seed tbe feeders

4f yo are going to pt ot )st one feeder" this is yor best choice# Be sre to se!ect a mode! with meta!ports arond the seed dispensers to protect the feeder from nibb!ing s,irre!s and hose sparrows# Hangthe feeder at !east five feet off the grond and try to position it near a window where yo can en)oy thevisitors" which are !i$e!y to inc!de chic$adees" titmice" nthatches" go!dfinches" sis$ins and prp!e and

hose finches#

2et feeder

2et is pop!ar with titmice" chic$adees" nthatches and woodpec$ers# 5rens" creepers and warb!erswi!! a!so occasiona!!y pec$ at set# 5hi!e yo can hang set chn$s in a mesh onion bag" yo can a!soprchase cage feeders# 2ome peop!e !i$e to ma$e their own set 6pddings6 by grinding the set andadding seeds" and create homemade set feeders by pac$ing the mi.tre into the crevices of !arge pinecones# 2et feeders can be hng from trees" from po!es near other feeders" or from a wire stretchedbetween trees# Avoid feeding set when temperatres rise into the 70-degree range" as it can trnrancid#

Hopper feeders

Hopper feeders $eep severa! ponds of mi.ed seed dry and ready for hngry birds# Birds hopping onthe feeder trigger the re!ease of seeds# Hopper feeders sho!d be positioned on a po!e abot five feet offthe grond and wi!! draw a!! the species that tbe feeders attract" a!ong with !arger birds !i$e )ays"grac$!es" red-winged b!ac$birds and cardina!s#

*hist!e %ny)er' feeder

/specia!!y designed to dispense thist!e %ny)er' seed" these feeders have tiny ho!es that ma$e the seedavai!ab!e on!y to sma!!-bea$ed finches sch as go!dfinches" redpo!!s and pine sis$ins# Hang yor thist!efeeder from a tree or p!ace it on a five-foot po!e near other feeders# 2,irre! baff!es wi!! he!p to protectthe feeder#

hoosing yor feeder is )st the first step# Be sre to read p on these other topics on $eeping yorfeathered friends fed and safe8

Feeder &ocation

&ocation" &ocation" &ocation8 *here are a few $ey points to consider when deciding where to pt yorfeeder# 4t9s not as simp!e as hanging it from the nearest tree+ :o want to thin$ abot things !i$eavoiding competition and accommodating varios feeding sty!es and preferences# :o a!so want tothin$ of possib!e ha;ards to the birds" sch as window co!!isions" prow!ing cats" and thieving s,irre!s#Fo!!ow these tips to provide an idea! environment in yor bac$yard#


3/6

&ocate feeders at different !eve!s# 2parrows" )ncos" and towhees sa!!y feed on the grond" whi!efinches and cardina!s feed in shrbs" and chic$adees" titmice" and woodpec$ers feed in trees# *o avoidcrowding and attract the greatest variety of species" provide tab!e-!i$e feeders for grond feeding birds"hopper or tbe feeders for shrb and treetop feeders" and set feeders we!! off the grond forwoodpec$ers" nthatches" and chic$adees#


4/6

*hese agric!tra! prodcts are fre,ent!y mi.ed into !ow-priced birdseed b!ends# Most birds discardthem in favor of other food" which !eaves them to accm!ate nder feeders" where they may attractrodents# Mi!o is more often eaten by grond-feeding birds in the 2othwest# 4t attracts pheasants" ,ai!"and doves#

*hist!e %ny)er'

A preferred food of American go!dfinches" !esser go!dfinches" hose finches" and common redpo!!s"ny)er is sometimes ca!!ed 6b!ac$ go!d"6 becase it costs abot ?1#@0 per pond# Do not confse it withpric$!y thist!e" a pin$-f!owered weed sed by go!dfinches to !ine their nests#

2et feeding

2et %beef fat' attracts insect-eating birds sch as woodpec$ers" wrens" chic$adees" nthatches" andtitmice#

Fo!!ow these tips and recipes be!ow for a home-made addition to bird seeds#


5/6

which a hmmingbird ses to !ic$ its nectar sorce -- whether a f!ower or a feeder -- anywhere from to 1 times a second# *he for$ forms a trogh that draws the nectar p by capi!!ary action#Hmmingbirds depend on the sgar-rich nectar for p to 0 percent of their diet3 the rest is made p ofinsects and po!!en that provide essentia! protein#

Feeder Facts

Maintaining a bac$yard hmmingbird feeder can he!p provide the birds with nectar critica! to theirsrviva!" especia!!y dring the fa!! when they need to dob!e their body mass before migration#%ontrary to a common fear the e.tra food won9t stop a hmmer from migrating soth when it9s timefor it to go#' Fo!!ow these steps to ensre yor yard is a safe and ntritios stopover for hmmingbirds+

C 4f yo have trob!e with one bird dominating yor feeder" then hang severa! sma!!er ones in different!ocations# eep the feeders far enogh apart that the hmmers cannot see one another3 this wi!! preventone bird from dominating the rest#

C Fi!! the feeders with sgar water" made by combining for parts hot water to one part white sgar"boi!ed for one to two mintes# N//> se honey" which promotes the growth of harmf! bacteria" orartificia! sweeteners# A!so avoid red food co!oring#

C Hang yor feeders in the shade to discorage fermentation and spoi!age of the sgar so!tion#

C Be sre to change the sgar water reg!ar!y - before it gets c!ody" or abot twice a wee$ in warmweather#

C !ean the feeders with a so!tion of one part white vinegar to for parts water abot once a wee$# 4fyor feeder has become dirty" try adding some grains of dry rice to the vinegar so!tion and sha$evigoros!y# *he grains act as a good abrasive# >inse yor feeder we!! with warm water three timesbefore refi!!ing with sgar so!tion#

C Browse yor !oca! birding !istservs to find ot when the first hmmingbirds sightings occr eachspring" and aim to have yor feeders p a cop!e of wee$s before that# 4n the fa!!" $eep yor feeders pfor two wee$s after yo see the !ast bird sing it#

*here is even more yo can do to he!p these wonderf! creatres thrive# &earn how to create ahmmingbird-hea!thy habitat right in yor own bac$ yard8

Feeder MaintenanceAmerican o!dfinch drin$ing at birdbath)effreyw

!eaning birdfeeders and birdbaths is a crcia! practice in preventing the spread of disease betweenbirds# >ecent!y" scientists noted that the spread of *richomonad proto;oan parasites" which case adisease termed *richomoniasis" was on the rise especia!!y among morning dove and band-tai!edpigeon pop!ations in the 5est#

:o can te!! if yo have a disease prob!em at yor feeders becase diseased birds are !ess a!ert and !essactive" they feed !ess and may cower on a feeder" they may be re!ctant to f!y" and their feathers do notappear to be in good shape# Birds aff!icted with *richomoniasis typica!!y deve!op sores in their moths


6/6

and throats# =nab!e to swa!!ow" they drop food or water contaminated with *richomonads that otherbirds then consme" ths spreading the disease#

5ith the concern over this and other diseases" inc!ding 2a!mone!!osis" Aspergi!!osis" and Avian

How to Feed Birds by John Davis

Documents

Transcript of How to Feed Birds by John Davis