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Wild Bird Feeders

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Wild Bird Feeders

Wild bird feeders are a great way to attract wildlife into your backyard. Watching the different species arrive to feed can be an exciting experience. You will also be doing your part for avian charity as well. In the winter months, food can be very hard for birds to find, especially the smaller birds like finches. Wild bird feeders help the birds survive during the food shortage season and the bitter cold.

Not all birds eat from the same type of feeder and not all birds eat the same food. Table wild bird feeders are great for attracting ground-feeding birds such as doves or cardinals and you may well find jays enjoying the food there as well. A platform bird feeder is a non-exclusive feeder that will attract all types of bird both small and large. But it is often the case in the avian kingdom that the smaller birds will have to wait until the larger birds have eaten. So you may want to consider tube wild bird feeders.

Tube feeders are perfect for smaller birds like finches or chickadees. Tube feeders will allow them to feed without getting bullied away from larger birds. There are also thistle seed bird feeders that attract the smaller members of the finch family such as goldfinch, house finch and purple finch. These wild bird feeders will spill a lot less seed than other feeders and are easily squirrel-proofed.

Spilt seeds from wild bird feeders can attract rodents. Once a rodent population is established it can be difficult to disperse. The first step is to stop feeding the birds for a couple of weeks. Hopefully this will discourage the rodents from returning and they will seek other sources of food. The next step is to try to devise a way to prevent seeds from falling to the ground. There are wild bird feeders available that will catch the dropped seeds, but they are not really big enough to do a proper job. Consider constructing a large catch tray that you can clean out and remove each night. The cleaning of a catch tray is very important because it will contain bird droppings and this could lead to the spread of disease.

You want to keep your wild bird feeders just for the birds, but predators will want a piece of the action as well. The king of backyard anarchy is the squirrel. You can prevent these pests from scaring away your birds by getting squirrel-proof wild bird feeders. If you already have a feeder, there are several add-ons you can buy that will make it almost impossible for the squirrel to succeed. There are also tips from avid bird watchers on how to outwit the squirrel. Tips include using a slinky at the top of the wild bird feeder that the squirrels will grab and find themselves dumped to the ground. Another tip is to put mothballs in stockings around the bird feeder. The scent will detract squirrels but not birds.

Whatever type of wild bird feeder you choose or whatever type of predator precautions you take; bird feeding is a rewarding experience. Feeding and then observing the wildlife in your backyard is a great hobby for young and old alike.