Wild Birds
Bird feeding is a popular endeavor enjoyed by millions of people and birds. But birds can be at risk at feeding stations – from predators and bird diseases. Proper precautions are necessary for safe bird feeding.
Safe Feeding Tips:
Stock Fresh Seed
In wet weather, bird seed can quickly become saturated and develop mold. Maintain fresh, dry seed in the feeder and the container in which the supply is kept.
Sweep it Clean
Keeping the ground at the base of a feeder free of discarded hulls and droppings will lessen damage to turf and prevent transmission of disease (such as salmonella). In winter, scraping off a few inches of snow will suffice. For busier stations, seed trays may be used to catch jettisoned hulls and seed. Feeders can also be relocated on occasion to prevent build-up at the base.
Take a Break
Several diseases are contagious between birds. If diseased birds (those with malformed bills, bulbous growths on feet or face, or swollen, reddish, or watery eyes) are frequently visiting your feeders, take down the feeder, discard seed and clean the feeder with bleach solution (nine parts water to one part bleach). Wait a week or more before reactivating the feeding station. This will cause the temporary dispersion of feeder birds and discourage revisiting by diseased birds. The same precautions should be taken if several dead birds with no sign of predator injury are found around the feeder.
Provide Cover
Native trees and shrubs of different densities and heights give birds places into which they can retreat and feel safe near the feeders. In winter, evergreens, brush piles or even discarded Christmas trees offer crucial winter protection from predators and weather. Plants should be close enough for safe approaches and quick escape but far enough to allow for a wide visual field for feeding birds (10-12 feet from feeders).
Keep Feeders Clean
It's important to clean your feeders to remove bacteria and mold spores, even in winter. A monthly cleaning with a nine-to-one water-bleach solution will deter bacteria in plastic, ceramic, and metal feeders. A dilute vinegar solution (three-to-one) or non-fragranced biodegradable soap should be used on wood to minimize fading.
Provide Water
A few inches of clean water in a birdbath or other rough-textured container will be a welcome addition to your feeding area. Consider a dripping system for a constant source of clean water and a birdbath heater to prevent freezing in the winter. Never use additives to keep water clean or prevent freezing. Place the birdbath in a central location allowing for the vulnerable bathers and drinkers to have a full view of their surroundings. Change water and clean birdbath every 2-3 days to prevent mosquitoes from breeding as well as the buildup of algae.
Creating a Bird Habitat
By Don and Lillian Stokes In addition to a good bird feeder set-up, water, shelter, and nesting sites -- birds need good habitat. There are many things you can do on your own property to create an Eden for birds.
1. Do a census of your plants. What kind of trees, shrubs, and flowers are already growing on your property? Find out what you own—you may already have valuable wildlife plants. If you find such plants and they are growing in less than ideal conditions, transplant them to a more favorable area. With some sun, water, and nutrients, they will thrive and become more productive specimens. By knowing what you have you are better able to determine what you need to add to create good habitat for birds.
2. Create diversity and make sure you have a variety of flowers, shrubs, vines, and trees that are attractive to birds. Try to create multiple layers of vegetation at about four different heights: tall trees, small trees, shrubs, flowers, and ground covers or lawn. Arrange your plantings with the taller items in back and smaller plants in front.
3. Create a natural effect when planting by grouping an odd number (three, five, seven) of the same kind of plant in a naturalistic way, rather than a straight line. Make a woodland edge an undulating border rather than just straight. Draw inspiration by noticing how plants grow in the wild.
4. When planting a garden for birds think about providing food for birds year-round. Choose species that mature their fruits at different times during the year, so there will always be new food available for the birds.
5. Think locally. Choose plants that thrive in your area of the country. Try to include lots of species that are native to your locale. Contact local horticultural societies, gardening societies, and county extension services to learn which plants are good for your region and which should be avoided because they would be considered invasive.
Attracting American Goldfinches
By Don and Lillian Stokes American Goldfinches are one of the most sought-after feeder birds. During the breeding season, males are bright, buttery yellow with a black cap and black wings. Females are more olive yellow above, which helps camouflage them while sitting on the nest. In winter, both male and female goldfinches molt into a more drab plumage of grayish-yellow.
Attract goldfinches with Nyjer (sometimes called thistle) seed, which is an imported seed, not to be confused with the wildflower plant called thistle. Goldfinches also love black oil sunflower seed, especially in its hulled or chip form. Better yet, give finches the best of both worlds and feed them a blend of finches’ two favorite seeds— Nyjer and Sunflower Chips. For a more economical choice, use a Finch Mix, a blend of sunflower, Nyjer and other small seeds finches enjoy, such as canary seed and millet.
To feed finches, use tube feeders or screen feeders and fill with Nyjer or finch mixes. These feeders have small holes since Nyjer and finch mixes are small seeds. “Finch Socks” are also a handy way to feed finches and can be washed and refilled when emptied.
Here’s a great tip to attract even more finches — use two or more feeders. Finches like to stay in flocks and will sit together on feeders chowing down. The more seats (perches) available at your bird feeding restaurant, the more finches can feed at once.
American Goldfinches are late nesters and breed from late spring into August. Watch for the male Goldfinch’s deep, looping, roller coaster flight display, given during breeding as he circles over his territory. In late summer and early fall, your feeders will see a lot of Goldfinch activity, as the adult Goldfinches bring their fledglings and give them seed from the feeders. Shortly after, the fledgling Goldfinches will get the hang of eating from the feeders themselves. Leave up the seed heads of Purple Coneflower and Daisies when cleaning up your garden. Goldfinches will enjoy them in fall and winter.
Goldfinches love bird baths, for drinking and bathing, especially in hot weather. So keep yours cleaned and filled with fresh water.
Attracting Bluebirds
By Don and Lillian Stokes Bluebirds can be found throughout most of the country and are easy to attract with the right nest box placed in an open habitat. There are three species of bluebirds in North America. The Eastern Bluebird lives throughout the East. The Western and Mountain Bluebirds live throughout most of the West.
Choose a nest box that is made of wood (but not pressure treated wood), has no perch, and has a 1-1/2 inch diameter hole for Eastern and Western Bluebirds. For Mountain Bluebirds choose a nest box with a 1-9/16 inch dia. hole (Western Bluebirds will also use this box in areas where the two species overlap). The box should have drainage holes in the bottom and ventilation holes at the top or the sides. The diameter of the floor should be about 4 x 4 inches to 5 x 5 inches for Eastern Bluebirds and 5 x 5 to 5.5 x 5.5 inches for Mountain and Western Bluebirds. Make sure the box can be readily opened from the front, side, or top, so you can clean it out and monitor the nesting progress.
Place the box in open, mowed habitat at least 100 feet from brushy wooded areas. Good areas are large lawns, open fields, farmland, pastureland, and parks, but not in areas where pesticides are used. Bluebirds eat insects during nesting and hunt by swooping down to the ground.
Mount the nest box about 5 feet high on a metal pole, facing any direction. To keep predators from climbing the pole and reaching the bluebirds, place a baffle on the pole. A "bluebird trail" consists of several boxes placed about 150 yards apart. Put boxes up by early March, before nesting starts. Check your box at least once a week during spring and early summer. Record the number of eggs, nestlings, etc. Opening the box will not hurt the birds. Touching the box and leaving your scent will not or cause them to abandon the nest, as most birds do not have a well-developed sense of smell.
Bluebirds make neat nests of fine grasses or pine needles and have 4 to 6 blue, rarely white, eggs. The incubation period is 12-14 days and nestlings fledge at 18-21 days. Do not open the box after the young are 12-14 days, it could cause them to fledge prematurely.
Attracting Chickadees
By Don and Lillian Stokes Black-capped Chickadees are perky little birds who travel in flocks in winter and are frequent visitors to bird feeders. Chickadees have dark caps and bibs and white cheeks and people think they look a bit like little league baseball players. Chickadees live in woodland environments and may feed by hanging upside down to glean insects from tree leaves and bark. They will also eat seeds.
You can attract Chickadees by placing bird feeders off the ground and near trees, their preferred habitat. Fill bird feeders with black oil sunflower, their favorite food, or seed mixes that contain a good proportion of black oil sunflower. Chickadees are also fond of suet cakes.
It's fun to watch chickadees feed. They take a seed, hold it between their toes and crack it open. They may do this right on a feeder perch or fly to a nearby tree branch. Sometimes chickadees will carry off one or several seeds and cache (store) them separately under bark or dead leaves. Chickadees have excellent memories and can find stored seeds a month or more later.
In spring Chickadee flocks disperse and pairs of chickadees form a breeding territory of about 10 acres in which they will nest. Chickadees nest in cavities and can excavate their own nest hole. You can entice them to breed in your yard by putting up a bird house with a 1 1/4 or 1 1/2 inch diameter opening.
Enjoy chickadees year round!
Attracting Hummingbirds
By Don and Lillian Stokes 1. Put up feeders just before hummingbirds are expected to arrive in your area. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds arrive in late February to mid-March in southern areas, late-March to early April in the middle of the U.S., and mid-April to mid-May in the North. In the West, Allen's Hummingbird may arrive on its breeding grounds as early as January. A few species, such as Anna's Hummingbird (of the West) and Buff-bellied Hummingbird (of South Texas), can be found all year.
2. Place feeders in a sheltered area near flowers that are attractive to hummingbirds, such as red tubular flowers.
3. Fill feeders with fresh nectar solution. You can make a nectar solution of 1 part white table sugar (do not use honey or artificial sweeteners) to 4 parts water. Boil for 1-2 minutes to dissolve sugar. Cool. Fill feeder. Store the extra nectar solution in your refrigerator.
4. It is highly important to clean hummingbird feeders and fill with fresh nectar solution every 2 days in hot weather. The nectar is susceptible to mold and harmful bacteria in very hot weather. Clean feeders with hot water and a little vinegar, or with a mild bleach solution for tough cleaning jobs. Scrub feeder with bottle brush and rinse thoroughly. Then fill with fresh nectar solution. Choose hummingbird feeders that are easy to take apart to clean.
5. Hummingbirds are very entertaining and can be competitive around feeders. To reduce hummingbird competition and allow more hummingbirds to feed, put up several hummingbird feeders, widely spaced, preferably out of view of one another.
6. Most hummingbirds migrate out of the U.S. in the winter. Leave your hummingbird feeders up until after the first frost or until migrants are no longer seen in your area. Leaving up feeders will not deter hummingbirds from migrating, they know instinctively when to leave.
7. To encourage hummingbirds to stay in your area good hummingbird habitat with a variety of trees, areas of sun and shade and lots of flower that hummingbirds favor. Hummingbirds visit flowers of different colors but they especially Impatiens, Salvia, Bee Balm, Penstemon, Columbine, & Trumpet Vine.
Attracting Juncos
By Don and Lillian Stokes Dark-eyed Juncos are one of the most common winter visitors to bird feeders and fun to watch because of their interesting social behavior. These little gray and white birds are called "snow birds" because their dark gray backs and white undersides remind people of "dark skies above, snow below." Juncos leave the northern portion of their breeding range during October and November and migrate in flocks to their wintering areas in lower Canada and throughout the United States.
Junco prefer to feed on the ground, so attract them with platform-type bird feeders placed at or near the ground. You can also scatter mixed seed directly on the ground near cover (such as dense evergreens) for Juncos in winter. Keep the ground feeding area clean and remove any uneaten seed after a reasonable amount of time.
Juncos tend to winter in the same area year after year, so chances are the birds that arrive at your feeder are the same birds that were there last winter. The first birds to arrive are older and more dominant. The younger ones arrive next. Males tend to winter farther north than females, so the proportion of males in a winter flock will be higher the farther north it is. (It is not always easy to determine age and sex reliably in the field. In general, the darkest birds are the males.)
The flock stays in an area of about ten to twelve acres. Not all of the birds are together all of the time so you may see varying numbers of juncos. However, they all stay in that fixed area.
The flock has a social hierarchy with a pecking order in which males dominate females and adults dominate younger birds. Watch the juncos at your feeder and you can see the social hierarchy at work. Dominant birds will face another bird and raise and fan their tails revealing the white outer tail feathers. They may also rush at and peck or chase subordinate birds. Sometimes two dominant birds may face one another, extend their necks, and repeatedly raise and lower their bills as if in a little "dance." Rarely will this end in a fight.
At night, the flock will roost together in the same place, usually in some dense evergreen cover. It is fun to follow the flock at dusk and see where they roost. In the spring, at your feeder, the males will chase the females as part of early courtship behavior. Males will also begin singing their musical trills. By April the juncos will have migrated north to their breeding grounds. Look for the snowbirds to return next spring.
Attracting Orioles
By Don and Lillian StokesThe best way to attract Orioles is to put Oriole feeders up just before they first arrive in spring. Orioles arrive from mid-March to mid-April in the South and from mid-April to mid-May in the northern half of the country. Orioles need to replenish their energy reserves after their migration flights and natural sources of food, such as nectar, fruit and insects, are often in short supply then. Thus, Orioles are most apt to visit feeders in early spring.
Attract Orioles with their own feeders. Oriole feeders are colored orange, have large perches to accommodate the body size of Orioles and hold sugar water. Orioles are attracted to nectar sugar water solutions because the concentrations of sugar mimic the nectar of flowers on which Orioles naturally feed.
Fill Oriole feeders with a sugar water nectar solution that is 1 part white table sugar (not honey or artificial sweetener) to 4, 5 or 6 parts water. See which your Orioles prefer. Boil the solution for 1-2 minutes then cool and fill feeder. Store unused solution in the refrigerator. Change the solution every 2 days in very hot weather as the solution could spoil or mold.
Clean Oriole feeders when changing the nectar solution by scrubbing with vinegar and hot water or a mild bleach solution. Rinse thoroughly and refill with a fresh sugar water solution.
Orioles eat insects and caterpillars during breeding and feed them to their young. Many Orioles will continue to use feeders throughout their breeding period, others may not. Orioles can also be attracted with orange halves placed on platform feeders, a deck railing or nailed to a tree. Put out oranges when Orioles first arrive in spring, at the same time you put out Oriole nectar feeders. Some Oriole will even eat suet cakes, especially fruit flavored suet. Orioles may also be attracted to grape jelly and mealworms.
In warmer areas of the country, like southern California, southern Texas, and the Gulf Coast, Orioles can be found throughout the year and can come to feeders in all months. Provide an Oriole habitat by planting shade trees and flowering & fruiting trees and shrubs.
Winter Finches
By Don and Lillian Stokes Winter finches are interesting members of the finch family, such as Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Siskins, Common Redpolls, and Purple finches, etc. who usually live in more northern areas, but leave those areas in years of poor food availability and "irrupt" down into the lower U.S. Look for them in winter at your bird feeders.
These winter finches prefer the same types of food as your goldfinches, so attract them with black oil sunflower, hulled sunflower, sunflower chips, thistle (Nyjer), or finch mixes. Offer the finch food in tubular or screen finch feeders, or finch socks. Put out multiple feeders because finches like to feed in flocks. Also, your goldfinches may have to share their food with their winter cousins, so you want to make sure there is enough for all.
Evening Grosbeaks are a type of finch, but are large birds with big, conical bills and sleigh bell-like calls. They eat sunflower seed, either black oil, striped or hulled sunflower. Put their food in feeders that accommodate these large birds. They really like platform feeders, or hopper feeders with wide ledges.
Pine Siskins are striped brown with a thin bill and sometimes yellow on their wing feathers and base of tail. They give an unmistakable rising buzzy call, “zhree-eet”. Look closely among your goldfinches, there may be Pine Siskins dining with them.
Common Redpolls are small, brown-streaked finches with red caps and black chins, who breed in the far north. Adult males have rosy breasts. They can form large winter flocks.
Purple Finches breed in Canada, the upper East and the West Coast. In winter they can also be found coming far down into the East. The male is streaked brown with a “dipped in raspberry juice” reddish wash over much of his plumage, unlike the more heavily streaked, less extensively red male House Finch. The female Purple Finch is streaked brown with a white eyebrow that helps distinguish her from the female House Finch who does not have a white eyebrow. House Finches are common all across the U.S. and not an irruptive species.
Since irruptive species are often feed in dense flocks, it is important to keep feeders clean. Clean feeders on a regular basis. Enjoy your winter finches.
Safe Bird Feeding