How to Create a Wild Bird Habitat in Your Backyard

Create your own wild bird habitat right in your own backyard by learning simple ways on how to attract them and make them happy. Design your own wild bird haven in your garden by knowing the 4 basic needs for all birds and how to meet those needs.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Research
• Shop around
• Pen and paper to take notes
• Internet Access

1. Know the four main elements that wild birds need and want.
   -Water
   -Food
   -Shelter
   -Safe place for their young

2. Fill the feeders with the right food for these wild birds.
   -Oil Sunflower Seeds
   -Sunflower Chips. It has protein they need.
   -White Millet Seeds. It is high in protein.
   -Cracked Corn
   -Peanuts
   -Safflower

3. Place these foods where the wild birds are likely to eat it.
   -White Millet Seeds are on the ground, where wild birds will feed on them.
   -Sunflower Chips and Seeds are placed inside a feeder.
   -You can blend both White Millet Seeds with Sunflower Chips and Seeds inside a feeder. And, maybe, place the feeder on the ground.

4. Choose from different wild bird food blends.
   -Select Blend consists of 95% While Millet Seeds and 5% Sunflower Seeds
   -Supreme Blend consists of Safflower, Sunflower Seed and Oil Sunflower Seeds.
   -Deluxe consists of White Millet Seed, Sunflower Seeds and Safflower.

5. Buy birdhouses with trays underneath because they keep your backyard clean. There isn’t any mess on the ground; and, therefore, there will not be any rodents in your backyard.

6. Consider other feeders.
   -Specialty Feeder
   -Window Feeder
   -Certain vegetation, such as berries.

7. Add water sources in your garden or backyard area.
   -Make sure it is shallow so the birds can get into the birdbath without drowning. They are likely to play in it.
   -A plate on the ground with water is a good example.
   -Get a Dripper. It clips onto a birdbath so that birds can drink from it. It looks like a plate.

8. Add a cover. It provides shelter for them and safety for their young.

9. Clean birdhouse(s).
   -2 times a year
   -Birdhouse should be open and well ventilated.

10. Certify your wild bird habitat.
    -With the National Wildlife Federation

11. Enjoy your wild bird habitat and the many wild birds that congregate there. The following are some of the birds that you might see.
    -Blue Jays are most in the east.
    -Gold Finch
    -Eastern Blue Bird
    -Hummingbirds
    -Doves
    -Blackbirds
    -Red birds

Tips & Warnings

• Do not give birds any red food coloring or any food coloring. It is not good for them.

[waters]

on 5/10/2009 Good information on how to create a wild bird habitat in your back yard 5* and recommended.