Whether it’s tweeting, pecking, or singing you prefer to hear outside your window, bird feeders are an excellent way to attract the beauty of these avian creatures while simultaneously helping the ecosystem. Here are some tips for installing bird feeders in your back (or front) yard.
Location: Different species of birds feed on different levels. For example, sparrows and towhees usually find their food on the ground, while finches and cardinals feed in bushes and shrubs. Woodpeckers and titmice tend to flock to trees and higher altitudes. To attract a variety of bird species, place the feeders on varying levels of the natural environment. According to an article on the Audubon website, “To avoid crowding and to attract the greatest variety of species, provide table-like feeders for ground-feeding birds, hopper or tube feeders for shrub and treetop feeders, and suet feeders well off the ground for woodpeckers, nuthatches, and chickadees.”
Variety: The type of seed with which to fill the feeders coincides with their locations. Just as each species has their preferred location to hunt for food, they also each have their own tastes. Sunflower seeds appeal to most birds, so they’re a good general seed to keep on hand, as are millet and cracked corn. Many prepared seed mixtures contain these three seeds, which are often naturally sorted out by the birds themselves. “Sunflower specialists,” the article states, “will readily eat the sunflower seed and toss the millet and corn to the grounds, to be eaten by ground-feeding birds such as sparrows and juncos.” Suet is a popular choice for feeders, but be sure to only fill feeders with suet during the colder seasons, as it will turn rancid in the heat and can be harmful to birds when melting.
General birdseed is not the only attractive food for the avian warblers; some species prefer fresh fruit, like berries and oranges, while others, namely hummingbirds, will visit for nectar and sugary concoctions. These, however, require more maintenance to ensure prevention of rotting and mold growth.
Prevention: Perhaps the most common thief of birdseed is the pesky squirrel. To prevent these and other critters from depriving birds of their supplemental sustenance, hang the feeder from a narrow pole at least five feet tall. This will most likely cause squirrels and other climbing creatures to give up on their quest when the insufficient surface area and material causes them to fail. Another effective method is distracting squirrels with feeders of their own; if filled with food especially attractive to them, they will go for these instead of the feeders meant for birds, thus reducing competition and saving the more expensive bird seed.
A threat to birds themselves, not just their food, is the cat. If cats live in the house, be sure to keep them indoors and out of reach of the feeders. According to the article, “Cats kill hundreds of millions of birds annually in the United States…Outdoor cats are especially dangerous to birds in the spring when fledglings are on the ground.” To keep birds safe and reproducing, do everything possible to allow them to feed in peace.
Cleaning: Be sure to clean feeders at least twice per year. Seed that remains in the feeders can rot and grow mold, which is fatal to birds if they ingest it. When cleaning feeders, scrub with dish detergent and soak in non-chlorine beach solution, then rinse well and allow the sun to dry them. It is also good practice to clean spilled seed on the ground when Spring rolls around, clean storage containers, and replace stored seed every year, as any harsh weather conditions will ruin it.
For more information, visit audubon.org.
This article originally appeared in the June 2024 issue of Omaha Home Magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
