Birdfeeder Tips
Bird feeders will attract a variety of birds to your garden throughout the year. In winter, birds visit a feeder when natural foods are not available. During the spring and fall, migrating birds use feeders as a fuel stop, and in the summer feeders provide additional food for nesting birds.
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Types of Bird Food
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Tube Birdfeeder
Different species of birds like various types of seeds. If you can use only one type of seed, most birds like black oil sunflower seeds. Goldfinches prefer thistle seed, while cardinals favor safflower seed. Millet is a popular choice of doves, quails, finches, juncos, towhees, sparrows and red-winged blackbirds. Cracked corn attracts jays, juncos, towhees, sparrows, doves, quail, pheasants and crows. Peanuts draw woodpeckers, jays, wrens, starlings, nuthatches, chickadees and titmice. Other foods include suet blocks, pumpkin and squash seeds, cereal and fruit.
Types of Feeders
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Suet Feeder
Some feeders are designed to dispense certain types of seeds or to attract certain species of birds. A hopper feeder releases food when a bird lands on the trigger and attracts a variety of birds. Sunflower seed tubes and thistle feeders are designed so birds can easily reach the seeds inside. A suet feeder is a cage-like box that holds a block of suet and attracts titmice, nuthatches, chickadees and woodpeckers. Hummingbird feeders allow the small birds to sip nectar--sugar water--from small holes. You can buy sugar water or make it at home.
Location
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Hummingbird Feeders
Place bird feeders in a safe area away from shrubbery where predators may hide, but close enough to trees so birds can quickly fly to safety--usually 5 to 12 feet. Mount bird feeders on poles or hang from hooks or the eaves of buildings where you can see the birds from windows or an outdoor sitting area.
Other Considerations
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Use a special bird feeder or a baffle under the feeder to prevent squirrels from eating the bird food, or give the squirrels their own feeder of dried corn on the cob. Provide clean water near the bird feeder for birds to drink and bathe in. Keep bird food in clean, dry containers to prevent mold, and clean bird feeders regularly.
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