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What to feed the birds


11 Tips for Feeding Backyard Birds

Follow this advice to attract the most feathered friends to your feeders.

By Steve Kress

September 27, 2011

   

By Steve Kress

September 27, 2011

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Photo: Donna Trussell

1) Locate bird feeders at different levels

 Sparrows, juncos, and towhees usually feed on the ground, while finches and cardinals feed in shrubs, and chickadees, titmice, and woodpeckers feed in trees. 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.

2) Offer a variety of seeds in separate feeders

A diverse mix of seeds will attract the greatest variety of birds. To avoid waste, offer different seeds in different feeders. Black oil sunflower seed appeals to the greatest number of birds. Offer sunflower seeds, nyjer (thistle) seeds, and peanuts in separate feeders. When using blends, choose mixtures containing sunflower seeds, millet, and cracked corn—the three most popular types of birdseed. Birds that are sunflower specialists will readily eat the sunflower seed and toss the millet and corn to the ground, to be eaten by ground-feeding birds such as sparrows and juncos. Mixtures of peanuts, nuts, and dried fruit attract woodpeckers, nuthatches, and titmice. A relatively few species prefer milo, wheat, and oats, which are featured in less expensive blends.

3) Provide suet during cool weather only

Suet (beef fat) attracts insect-eating birds such as woodpeckers, wrens, chickadees, nuthatches, and titmice. Place the suet in special feeders or net onion bags at least five feet from the ground to keep it out of the reach of dogs. Do not put out suet during hot weather as it can turn rancid; also, dripping fat can damage natural waterproofing on bird feathers.

4) Mix peanut butter and corn meal

Peanut butter is a good substitute for suet in the summer. Mix one part peanut butter with five parts corn meal and stuff the mixture into holes drilled in a hanging log or into the crevices of a large pinecone. This all-season mixture attracts woodpeckers, chickadees, titmice, and occasionally warblers.

5) Provide fruit for berry-eating birds

Fruit specialists such as robins, waxwings, bluebirds, and mockingbirds rarely eat birdseed. To attract these birds, soak raisins and currants in water overnight, then place them on a table feeder, or purchase blends with a dried fruit mixture. To attract orioles and tanagers, skewer halved oranges onto a spike near other feeders, or supply nectar feeders.

6) Provide nectar for hummingbirds

Make a sugar solution of one part white sugar to four parts water. Boil briefly to sterilize and dissolve sugar crystals; no need to add red food coloring. Feeders must be washed every few days with very hot water and kept scrupulously clean to prevent the growth of mold.

7) Store seed in secure metal containers 

Store seed in metal garbage cans with secure lids to protect it from squirrels and mice. Keep the cans in a cool, dry location; avoid storing in the heat. Damp seeds may grow mold that can be fatal to birds. Overheating can destroy the nutrition and taste of sunflower seeds. For these reasons, it’s best not to keep seed from one winter to the next.

8) Discourage squirrels from consuming feeder foods

Squirrels are best excluded by placing feeders on a pole in an open area. Pole-mounted feeders should be about five feet off the ground and protected by a cone-shaped baffle (at least 17 inches diameter) or similar obstacle below the feeder. Locate pole-mounted feeders at least 10 feet from the nearest shrub, tree, or other tall structure. Squirrel feeders stocked with blends that are especially attractive to squirrels and chipmunks can reduce competition for high-priced foods offered at bird feeders. Place squirrel feeders far from bird feeders to further reduce competition.

9) Locate feeders to reduce window collisions

In the United States, approximately one billion birds die each year from flying into windows. Protect birds from collisions by placing feeders within three feet of windows, if possible. Mobiles and opaque decorations hanging outside windows also help to prevent bird strikes. Or attach fruit tree netting outside windows to deflect birds from the glass.

10) Keep cats indoors

Cats kill hundreds of millions of birds annually in the United States, often pouncing on ground-feeding birds and those dazed by window collisions. Responsible and caring cat owners keep their cats indoors, where they are also safer from traffic, disease, and fights with other animals. Outdoor cats are especially dangerous to birds in the spring when fledglings are on the ground. Bells on cat collars are usually ineffective for deterring predation.

11) Clean feeders and rake up spilled grain and hulls

Uneaten seed can become soggy and grow deadly mold. Empty and clean feeders twice a year (spring and fall), or more often if feeders are used during humid summers. Using a long-handled bottlebrush, scrub with dish detergent and rinse with a powerful hose; then soak in a bucket of 10 percent non-chlorine bleach solution, rinse well, and dry in the sun. In early spring, rake up spilled grain and sunflower hulls.

Downloadable Resources

audubon_guide_to_bird_feeders.pdfaudubon_guide_to_bird_feeding.pdfaudubon_guide_to_birdseed.pdf

What do Birds Eat? | What to Feed Wild Birds

You're always asking about what and how to feed your garden birds - such as which is the best type of food to provide or whether there's anything to avoid. Whatever food you use, always make sure it's fresh!

Bird seed mixtures

There are different mixes for feeders, for bird tables and for ground feeding. The better mixtures contain plenty of flaked maize, sunflower seeds and peanut granules.

Small seeds, such as millet, attract mostly house sparrows, dunnocks, finches, reed buntings and collared doves, while flaked maize is taken readily by blackbirds. Tits and greenfinches favour peanuts and sunflower seeds. Mixes that contain chunks or whole nuts are suitable for winter feeding only. Pinhead oatmeal is excellent for many birds. Wheat and barley grains are often included in seed mixtures, but they're really only suitable for pigeons, doves and pheasants, which feed on the ground and rapidly increase in numbers, frequently deterring the smaller species.

Warning: Avoid seed mixtures that have split peas, beans, dried rice or lentils as again only the large species can eat them dry. These are added to some cheaper seed mixes to bulk them up. Also avoid any mixture containing green or pink lumps as these are dog biscuit, which can only be eaten when soaked. 

How you can help

We stock a large range of safe, high-quality bird food that will attract a wide variety of birds to your garden.

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Other seeds and nuts

Black sunflower seeds

These are an excellent year-round food, and in many areas are even more popular than peanuts. The oil content is higher in black than striped ones, and so they are much better. Sunflower hearts (the husked kernels) are a popular no-mess food.

Nyjer seeds 

These are small and black, rich in fat and with a high oil content. They do need a special type of seed feeder however. They're a particular favourites with goldfinches and siskins and are popular with tits, greenfinches, house sparrows, nuthatches and great spotted woodpeckers too.

Peanuts

Crushed or grated nuts attract robins, dunnocks and even wrens. Nuthatches and coal tits may hoard peanuts.

Warning: Don't use salted or dry roasted peanuts. Remember, peanuts can be high in a natural toxin, which can kill birds, so always buy from a reputable dealer, such as our online shop, to guarantee freedom from aflatoxin.

Never put out loose peanuts, during spring or summer, as these pose a choking hazard if they are fed to chicks, place whole peanuts in a suitable mesh feeder.

Bird cake and food bars

Fat balls and other fat-based food bars are excellent winter food.

If they are sold in nylon mesh bags, always remove the bag before putting the fat ball out – the soft mesh can trap and injure birds.

You can make your own bird cake by:

Warning: Home-made fat balls can go soft and rancid in warm summer weather, and should be avoided.

Live foods and other insect foods

Mealworms are relished by robins and blue tits, and may attract other insect-eating birds such as pied wagtails.

Mealworms are a natural food and you can feed them to birds throughout the year. It can be quite expensive to constantly buy them, so why not try growing your own mealworms? Don't worry, you can still buy your mealworms from the professionals, consoling yourself with the thought that successful mealworm breeding is even more difficult than it sounds.

Warning: as with most foods, there can be a risk of salmonella poisoning. If you're using dried mealworms, make sure you're confident in the supplier's food hygiene practices and if uncertain, ask for their food safety certifications. Further reduce any risk by only providing small amounts that get eaten quickly and by using an appropiate mealworm feeder. You can also store dried mealworms in the fridge. Tip: Soak dried mealworms in warm water for 20-60 minutes before putting out to provide valuable moisture content and make it easier for younger birds to digest.

Waxworms are excellent, but expensive. Foods for insect-eating birds, such as ant pupae and insectivorous and softbill food are available from bird food suppliers and pet shops. Insect food appropriately offered can attract treecreepers and wrens.

Dog and cat food

Did you know meaty tinned dog and cat food are a good substitute to earthworms during the warm, dry part of the summer when worms are beyond the birds' reach? Blackbirds readily take dog food, and even feed it to their chicks.

Warning: don't use dry biscuits as birds may choke on the hard lumps. It is sometimes added to cheaper seed mixtures for bulk. Soaked dog biscuit is excellent, except in hot weather as it quickly dries out. Petfood can attract larger birds such as magpies and gulls, but also neighbourhood cats. So if this is likely to be a problem, best avoid.

Rice and cereals

Cooked rice, brown or white (without salt added) benefits all sorts of birds during severe winter weather. Pigeons, doves and pheasants may eat uncooked rice but it's less likely to attract other species.

Any dry breakfast cereal makes for useful bird food, although you need to be careful only to put out small amounts at a time. And make sure there's a supply of drinking water nearby, since it quickly turns into pulp once wet.

Uncooked porridge oats are also fine for a number of birds.

Warning: never cook porridge oats, this makes them glutinous and could harden around a bird's beak.  

Fats, margarines and oils

Lard and beef suet on their own are fine as they re-solidify after warming. And as they are pure fat, it's not as suitable for bacteria to breed on. 

Cooking fat

Warning: fat from cooking is bad for birds. The problem with cooked fat from roasting for example, is that the meat juices have blended with the fat and when set, this consistency makes it prone to smearing, not good for birds' feathers. It's a breeding ground for bacteria, so potentially bad for birds' health. Salt levels depend on what meat is used and if any salt is added during cooking.

Polyunsaturated margarines or vegetable oils

Warning: these are also unsuitable for birds. Unlike humans, birds need high levels of saturated fat, such as raw suet and lard. They need the high energy content to keep warm in the the winter weather, since their body reserves are quickly used up, particularly on cold winter nights. The soft fats can easily be smeared onto the feathers, destroying the waterproofing and insulating qualities.

Milk and coconut

Birds can digest fermented dairy products, such as cheese. Mild grated cheese can be a good way of attracting robins, wrens and dunnocks.

Warning: never give milk to any bird. A bird's gut is not designed to digest milk and it can give them serious stomach upsets or even kill them. 

Give fresh coconut only, in the shell. Rinse out any residues of the sweet coconut water from the middle of the coconut before hanging it out to stop the build-up of black mildew.

Warning: never use desiccated coconut as it may swell once inside a bird and cause death.

FEED THE BIRDS IN WINTER

Friends!

Colds are coming, and we traditionally begin to feed the birds, laying out food in feeders and hanging lard on trees. THE BOTANICAL GARDEN-INSTITUTE ACCEPTS BIRD FEED AND PROTEIN. We have a lot of feeders in the Arboretum, and in winter we regularly monitor their fullness. Well-fed birds survive the cold more easily and are more likely to survive until spring.

Feed the birds in winter!
Let from all over
They will flock to you like home,
Stakes on the porch.
Their food is poor.
A handful of grain is needed,
One handful - and they will not be afraid of winter.
How many of them die - do not count,
It's hard to see.
But in our heart there is
And the birds are warm.
Is it possible to forget:
Could fly away,
And they stayed for the winter
Along with people.
Train the birds in the cold
To your window,
So that without songs it was not necessary
We welcome spring!
Alexander Yashin
What can you feed the birds in winter

In winter, each type of bird eats a certain type of food. The species composition of visiting birds will also depend on what you pour into the feeder. The following are the main foods that can be used in winter top dressing:

1. GRAINS - MILLET, OATS, WHEAT

The favorite food of some birds are the seeds of various plants, especially cereals. Sprinkling millet or oats into the feeder will attract sparrows, goldfinches and other grain-eating birds. Birds in winter can be fed with wheat bran, hard oatmeal, poppy seeds, pearl barley. Some birds eat corn and watermelon seeds, which must be crushed beforehand. If you are interested in breeding useful birds in your garden, then in the fall prepare weed seeds - nettles, quinoa, burdock, thistles, and pour them into the feeder in winter. But keep in mind that this will be only an insignificant addition to the main feed. it is more correct to plant mountain ash, viburnum, hawthorn, buckthorn, bird cherry and other berry trees and shrubs on your feeding area.

2. SUNFLOWER SEEDS

The most versatile food for wintering birds. It can be eaten by both granivorous birds and tits, nuthatches, woodpeckers. The large amount of vegetable fats inside sunflower seeds makes them an important source of energy in cold winter conditions. If there is monotonous food in the feeder, sunflower tits will look for additional protein animal food.

3. SALO, MEAT

These products can also be used for winter bird feeding. They are very fond of tits, nuthatches and some other species of birds. But it is worth remembering that only unsalted lard or meat can be offered to birds. As a rule, pieces of bacon are strung on twine, which is hung on tree branches. Top dressing from fat or meat should be placed in such a way that it does not go to crows, magpies, jackdaws, as well as cats and dogs.

You can put a small piece of butter in the feeder. On especially frosty days, this product will help the birds survive.

4. DRIED ROWAN AND HAWTHORN, ROSE HIP, VELLOW

Berries of mountain ash and hawthorn attract the most beautiful winter birds - bullfinches and waxwings, mountain ash.

Dried berries and fruits. Make a bunch of dried fruits and berries. Using a needle, put pieces of dried apples, pears, plums, apricots on a strong thread, form a lump and hang near the feeder. You can offer the birds the pulp of a pumpkin. Cut through "windows and doors" in it, so that the birds can get inside. They themselves will choose what to try - seeds or pulp. Tie a small pumpkin by the tail with a strong rope and hang it from a thick branch.

Apples that start to spoil should also not be thrown away. Cut the apple in half, put it in a feeder or hang it on a wire.

5. MAPLE AND ASH SEEDS

The seeds of these trees are also called lionfish. Most of them fall from the trees and become inaccessible to birds. Lionfish are harvested in autumn and hung on feeders. Bullfinches, waxwings and some other visitors to bird canteens like to eat them.

6. FOREST NUTS, CONES, ACORNS

Cones are the main food of crossbills and woodpeckers in winter.

Jays have been stocking acorns since autumn, hiding them in secluded places. In winter, hidden food is a good help. Having prepared cones, nuts and acorns since autumn, you can attract not only woodpeckers and jays, but also squirrels to your feeder.

7. CALCIUM SUPPLEMENT

During the nesting period (not necessarily in winter), garden guests still need to be fed foods that contain calcium. You can put pre-boiled, ground eggshells or pieces of chalk to the feeder.

WHAT NOT TO FEED BIRDS

  1. It is strictly forbidden to feed birds with fried, salty (salted fat or meat), sour foods.

  2. You can not give fresh white and especially rye bread, these products cause fermentation in the goiter of the bird.

  3. It is also impossible to feed birds with citrus fruits, banana peels, peanuts, spicy foods, pieces of pies and whites, chips, potatoes.

Publication date: 11/17/2021

How and what to feed the birds.

Forester's advice

Out of kindness, city people feed the birds with bread, salted nuts, and chips. Senior forest ranger Vladimir Zakharov says that this should not be done, because their stomachs are not designed to digest such food. How to feed birds, why this can only be done in winter, how to make the right feeders and help forest animals - read the Ecowiki material. Help : Vladimir Zakharov - senior district forest warden of the Orekhovo-Zuevsky forestry in the Moscow region. - Is it necessary to feed forest animals in winter? This is an ambiguous question. From a scientific point of view, winter weather does not pose a threat to forest species. Animals did not appear in our forests yesterday. They have existed next to us for thousands of years and have been able to survive numerous cataclysms, various weather anomalies. That is, the species will not die. But an individual small beautiful bird may not survive the harsh cold. Therefore, we sympathize with these living beings, this is an ethical moment, we want to help them. They are beautiful and useful. In winter, we will feed them, and in the spring they will thank us: they will destroy all the pests in our garden, return our "debt". Forestry does not feed or record animals. Classic pictures from primers and children's books with feeders for deer and roe deer are the lot of hunting farms or specially protected areas, national and natural parks, where the population of one or another species is restored. In Russia, in many territories, work is underway to return the bison to our forests. In the Far East, they want to increase the number of predators, leopards, tigers. For this they are fed. But this will not last forever and will stop when the natural ecosystem is restored. Also, forest animals need to be fed when special natural phenomena occur that lead to disasters. After the thaw there is a sharp cold snap, with deep snow a crust forms, and ungulates cannot calmly move around the territory, injure their limbs, and fall ill. They need help. However, under average weather conditions for ungulates, predators of the middle zone, there is enough food until spring. I don't think it's necessary to feed foxes and wolves. It is not worth artificially increasing their number. — How can an ordinary person take part in helping animals in winter? If we are talking about large animals, then you can contact national parks, reserves, where they are fed. They will tell you how you can be helpful. But the most accessible topic for nature lovers is bird feeding . It is important right now, in the second half of winter until mid-March, before the onset of warm days . In the first half of winter, forest birds feel great on the remains of plant seeds from autumn. The very weeds that are mercilessly fought in Moscow and other large cities are a real salvation for birds. Seeds of nettle, wormwood, burdock are natural fodder grounds. But by the second half of winter, this traditional food comes to an end, dry weeds fall due to precipitation and winds, fall under the snow and become inaccessible. And birds have to use ingenuity, many species have adapted to migrate to human habitation in winter. A person leaves a lot of food around him - birds fly to landfills, garbage dumps, to fast food restaurants. Therefore, it makes no sense to specially go to remote taiga regions to pour out a handful of seeds. Feeding makes sense if it is done regularly . The birds themselves have already understood where it is easier to find food, and they come to us. Even in large cities in winter you can meet rare birds. - What should be the food for birds? In no case do we feed the birds with processed foods - salted roasted seeds or chips. Birds try to steal something from the table in street cafes, but such food does not suit them, they simply cannot assess the harm of this product. Also, we do not feed the birds spoiled food, such as moldy bread. Since the metabolism of birds is fast, the most The correct food for them should be high-calorie - these are sunflower seeds, pumpkin, watermelon, melon . On the market you can buy raw seeds by weight. Tits, bullfinches, sparrows, woodpeckers love them very much. Experts do not recommend using millet. This is a processed cereal, it quickly oxidizes in the fresh air, the film on the surface of millet is not good for the health of birds. In winter, it’s already hard for them, they may not survive the disease. Better let's millet , this is the same cereal, but not processed. Pet stores sell special food for forest birds, for parrots , you can add dried fruits, dried pieces of apples, berries. - Is it possible to feed birds with bread? Nature has not adapted birds to feed on pastries. After all, this is yeast, bread soaks in the goiter of birds, fermentation begins. Bread is mainly fed to ducks; this is a folk attraction on water bodies. But there is no need to feed the ducks, especially if there are no severe frosts . Ducks are traditionally migratory species. They have nothing to do here in winter. But since there is always food near a person, they became lazy. People artificially formed stable populations of waterfowl around them. We feed them and change their behavior. The same with pigeons - they do not need to be fed in the city . — That is, birds can lose their instinct to forage on their own if we feed them incorrectly? Yes, that's why we're only talking about feeding. As soon as spring comes, we stop it . If you pour seeds into the feeder in the summer, the birds will fly in and eat them, they have no need to look for insects. This is how we harm the birds. Birds must lead an active lifestyle, they are able to get food throughout the daylight hours, including for their offspring. Tits collect tons of food per season. For the same reason I am for collective maintenance of feeders . The birds very quickly get used to the fact that we feed them, and from the very dawn they begin to wait for food to appear in the feeder. If I get sick or go on a business trip and I can’t pour the seeds, the birds still wait and waste time that they could spend on searching and getting food. - What should be the feeders? They start talking about feeding birds from November. Kindergartens and schools hold Sinichkin Day on November 12 and other events. Everyone happily makes feeders, hang them up. And then it sweeps up to the waist of snow, and you can’t get to these empty feeders. I work with schools and I see sad, soggy feeders from milk bags in school yards. The paths to them are not cleared. I am against the mass production of feeders from improvised materials. They don't make much sense. It is better to place only two or three bird feeders on the territory of a school or kindergarten, but large, strong ones and regularly pour food into them. Such feeders can be something like art objects, so that you want to be photographed next to them. Abandoned warped bags and plastic bottles on trees look extremely unaesthetic. It is better to make a durable reusable feeder that you will put out at the beginning of winter and remove in spring . It's a question of taste, skill, desire. The feeder should have a roof so that the feed does not get wet from the rain and it is not covered with snow. She must have sides so that the food does not spill out onto the ground. You can make a feeder from a mesh metal cylinder, from polycarbonate, plastic, laminate, siding. Sometimes the feeders are painted. I have a feeder hanging under my window for several years, painted with acrylics and varnish. This is a matter of aesthetics - what do you want to see under your window for at least four months: a water bottle or a beautiful drawing. A painted bird feeder is not intimidating. They get used to it very quickly and nest even in painted birdhouses. Birds are thinking creatures, they evaluate the risks and understand that the object is not dangerous for them and it can be used .

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