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RollerFeeder
Bird Feeding Tips
Bird
Feeder Location, Bird Seed, Water, Height, Cleaning,
&
General Feeder Tips. Environmental
conditions & feeding birds.
Top bird
feeding tips
Location
& Cover/Seed Choice/Feeder Height/Water/Disruption
Location &
Habitat, Traffic/Noise
The location
of your bird feeder and surrounding habitat is very important - hang or mount your feeder near tree or shrub
alcove areas that provide cover. Near pine trees is a good choice if available
because they provide a thick & safe hideout from predators. Keep a
little distance from the cover so cats can't sneak up on the feeders. If trees
or shrubbery are not available, a good alternative is landscaping structures
or other structures on your property like arbors, fencing, structural
overhangs etc. Avoid wide
open
areas where birds are exposed to flying predators, and partially shaded
or shaded areas are generally better than full sun - it reinforces nearby
cover and the temperature more moderate.
The location should also
avoid high traffic & noisy areas by pedestrians, autos, dogs, and
other disturbances that occur on a regular basis. Too close to large
windows can also be distracting or alarming to birds from the inside
movement of people. Locate them in the quiet place in your yard.
Bird Seed
Use black oil sunflower
seed or high quality mixed bird seed containing 80-95% black oil seed.
Sunflower is native songbirds favorite seed. Avoid cheap grocery store seed
containing mostly millet (used as a filler) as it will attract undesirable birds like house sparrows
and blackbirds or be thrown out as waste by songbirds. To improve
bird activity, mix in 25%-50% sunflower kernels (shelled sunflower),
which is birds favorite & easiest meal. There is less waste with sunflower kernels as well.
Bird Seed New
Feeder
If the feeder is new,
use 100% whole sunflower kernels mentioned above
to give the feeder a "kick-start". It takes time for
birds to acclimate to a new feeder and sunflower kernels will help
greatly. Sunflower kernels are more expensive per pound but attract
the widest variety of songbirds...then after a while gradually change the mix if desirable. It
can be found at most stores that carry birdseed.
Great Bird Seed
Mix
Chickadees
- Cardinal size
songbirds
and woodpeckers too.
A great overall bird
seed mix is 30% Black oil sunflower, 35% sunflower hearts, 30% safflower
seed, and 5% peanut parts. Try it, the birds will love it.
Height
Avoid hanging your feeders
low to the ground, eye level or above is a good rule of thumb - birds are
cautious of feeding too low because of predators like cats jumping up.
Also, the flying approach to the feeder is much more amiable to the birds at a
medium to higher level.
Hanging Hooks
(Shepherd's hook)
Many pole hooks on the
market are designed for hanging plants, the height of plant hooks
are typically too short for hanging bird feeders because, as mentioned
above, birds prefer feeding higher up to avoid predators and the approach
to the feeder is easier. There are poles on the market designed for
bird feeders that are higher and the hooks extend further away from the
pole than plant hooks.
Water
Supply water nearby if
possible - bird baths, drippers, heated bird baths in winter, self made ponds etc. If birds have a reliable
source of water year round, it is all the more reason for them to visit & stay in your
location.
General Feeding Tips &
Observations
New vs.
established feeders or replacement feeder
It can sometimes take a
while to establish a new feeder. If you
have other "established" feeders and activity is slow for the
new feeder, try letting the existing feeders go empty for a while so the birds find and use the new feeder - birds are
creators of habit like us all and will favor existing feeders for a long time.
If you had one feeder and
the new feeder is a replacement in the same location, some time will still
be required for birds to acclimate to the new feeder.
Competing
feeders
Neighbors competing
feeders can often affect your feeders activity and how long it takes for them to
find/use a new feeder, and if the bird seed choice (dinner) is better at
the neighbors, the birds will likely be eating there as a first choice.
Use high quality bird seed as mentioned above
Patience
Be patient, bird feeding
has many environmental factors associated with it that can't be
forced. In the spring birds are mating/nesting & searching out natural
food sources. Migration & weather are also factors, amongst
others.
Distance/location
If you have several feeders, spread them
throughout your yard apart from each other, or in small groups of 2 or
3. By spreading the feeders
out in your yard, you will likely experience birds souring from one
location to the other instead of possibly overloading in one location.
Duration
Feed
birds all year long. Many people feed birds in the fall
and winter then stop. You will be surprised at how many birds
visit feeders during the summer season. If you feed them all year, the
birds will identify your area as being a reliable source of food and
the number and occurrences of native songbirds will increase.
Cleaning
Clean
your feeder at least 2 times a year. We recommend in the
late Fall before winter and in the Spring. A clean feeder will
help prevent any bird diseases and keep them coming back for fresh
birdseed.
Choice
An investment in
quality feeders that are well thought out and designed for
specific kinds of birds will provide years of bird feeding enjoyment
with a long term perspective. It will also save you time, money,
and possibly a lot of frustration by minimizing or eliminating
the nuisance elements that can be associated with feeding birds.
Environmental
conditions & feeding birds.
Environment
- Listed below are some conditions that may impact birds visiting your
feeders.
-
Residence
location, rural or urban/suburban.
-
Surrounding
habitat.
-
Rain &
wind.
-
Rapid climate
changes.
-
Nesting
season.
-
Migration.
-
Water supply.
-
Time of day.
-
Feeder
sanitation.
-
Competing food
sources.
-
Population density
(bird and people density).
-
Natural feeding
habits.
Wilderness/Rural
Areas - Rural areas
typically have the highest feeder activity in one location because there are less feeders
to choose from in the area, especially in colder months when natural food is in low
supply. However, in warmer months when natural food supply is
plentiful, this will impact even high bird density areas. Birds will
often pick buds and plant seeds in the spring, bugs in the summer, and
berries in the fall. We recommend keeping seed in the feeder all year
so they can rely on a food source keeping them coming back.
Urban High Population
- Higher human
density locations with more feeders typically have less habitat for birds, and more
feeders - which will affect how many birds visit your area.
Again the type of food you offer will affect your feeders activity - you
are essentially competing with a natural food supply and the neighbors
feeders which might offer more variety of and higher quality food, better
habitat for nesting, hideouts from predators, a supply of water,
etc.
3 Times a Day
- Birds generally
feed 3 times per day - morning, midday, and early evening - the rest of
the time feeders are typically inactive or slow at best. If your feeders
are active throughout the day, consider yourself fortunate as it is highly
unusual.
Sporadic
Feeding - No one really knows why but birds can be highly active at
feeders one day and
nowhere to be found the next, or sometimes quit feeding for long periods
of time, a week or 2 or more. Theories range from temperature
changes, nesting season, changing seasons, migration, and unsanitary feeding
stations to name a few. If you have them visiting your feeders on a regular basis
and they suddenly disappear don't be alarmed, they will return
in a reasonable time and the reason is usually something out of your control. Make
sure your feeders are clean with fresh food.
Open Design vs.
More Restrictive Feeders. Open feeders will usually garner more bird activity as birds typically favor the easiest food
source. However, open feeders also gain the most attention from
feeder pests like squirrels, raccoons, and larger nuisance
birds like starlings, blackbirds, grackles, and aggressive jays that
pilfer the seed and keep away desirable songbirds. Open feeders also tend to be less weather
resistant and spill easier when a jumping squirrel lands on it.
Restrictive
feeders typically allow a select group of bird sizes in to feed while keeping out
most if not all the nuisance elements. Bird activity is generally
less than open feeders, but overall quality of desirable songbirds visiting
the feeder is greater, and problems are greatly reduced.
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