Backyard Birds and Simple Feeders

Feeding backyard birds can be an enjoyable activity for the whole family. A few simple feeders with tasty food will bring in many species, as long as you place them more than 30 feet from windows to reduce collisions which may prove fatal to these beautiful animals.

Easy to set up

Backyard birds and simple feeders can add a beautiful burst of color, movement, and sound to your garden. Not only are these feeders fun additions but they can provide vital nutrition to local wildlife as well. Selecting an appropriate type of feeder that’s placed correctly and regularly maintained can attract many different bird species to your garden; for an optimal experience use a quality product which resists weather while being easy to keep clean.

Set out multiple feeders throughout your yard to attract a wide range of feathered friends. Hopper, tube and platform feeders should be placed 5-6 feet from the ground in order to deter predators while offering convenient perching spaces for birds. Suet feeders should also be hung at this height to draw woodpeckers and other perching birds in. In order to attract hummingbirds, place at least four feet off of the ground.

Maintaining constant access to food throughout the year is vitally important to birds during nesting and migration, but especially so in winter when natural food sources become scarcer. Regular feeding helps birds stay energized while encouraging repeat visits to your backyard.

Seed mixes that feature black oil sunflower seeds, millet, cracked corn, and peanuts are ideal for attracting songbirds of various varieties. Nyjer seed provides extra energy during winter birds’ migration; to reduce waste further use a seed catcher or weather dome to capture any spillage and keep your feeder dry.

Keep your feeders free from insects to attract birds. Keep an eye on them regularly and use ant moats or bee guards to reduce infestation. Also avoid chemical pesticides in your yard – their chemicals are harmful to birds, potentially killing an entire flock in just a single dose!

Installing feeders is an economical and effortless way to bring nature right into your own backyard. A little patience will bring an abundance of colorful birds – they tend to be most active between 5am and late afternoon!

Attracts a variety of birds

Bird feeders provide an opportunity to observe wild birds up-close, learn about their habits, and appreciate their beauty. With the right food available at feeders, chickadees, blue jays, cardinals and woodpeckers can all become regular visitors – in addition to more uncommon feeder visitors like nuthatches and house finches. By offering multiple kinds of feeders featuring diverse seed mixes will maximize backyard bird biodiversity.

Feeder placement is also of great significance. An environment containing native shrubs, trees, flowers and grasses that provide shelter and perching places as well as producing fruits or seeds for birds to eat will supplement any backyard bird feeding program.

Although some may worry that supplementary feeding creates dependence and could threaten bird numbers, wild birds have long managed to survive without human assistance. Many overwintering species, particularly those that need extra energy during cold snaps, thrive when finding reliable food sources.

There is a wide array of feeders on the market today, from hopper, platform, tube and window mount models. Each attracts different species – mourning doves, sparrows and towhees are attracted to platform feeders positioned close to the ground; tube/hopper models draw finches/chicadees/titmice/cardinals etc.

Black-oil sunflower seed, striped sunflower seed and safflower are excellent foods to add to the feeders for birds overwintering in cold environments, providing vital energy sources that are easy for birds to digest and open – perfect for novice feeder owners!

Outstripping seed’s effectiveness at drawing birds to your yard, offering suet cakes and fruit can help attract even more species of feathered friends. At The Nature Store we carry a selection of fruit feeders you can try at your feeders as well as suet cakes which attract downy and red-bellied woodpeckers; apple slices, oranges, grapes and berries can all help feed these feathery friends! Additionally, capsaicin-based products can help deter squirrels who frequently visit backyard feeders! We carry capsaicin-based products which deter squirrels while offering up tasty treats at your feeders!

Attracts squirrels

Squirrels might not appear like much of a threat in your backyard bird sanctuary, but they pose more than just theft of seeds and birdseed. Squirrels are notoriously infiltrators around homes – infiltrating crevices to gain entry to chimneys, windows, or garages and searching out foods such as suet that offer quick calories.

To prevent squirrels and other mammal invaders, hang suet feeders near trees so that only flying birds can access them. This will make accessing and eating all at once much harder for animals – not to mention keeping your feeders clean as any dropped seeds on the ground may invite squirrels, rats and other mammalian invaders – plus it could even spread disease and illness! To best safeguard their food source.

Protect your feeders further by installing properly-sized and placed baffles onto poles. For optimal results, the baffle should be four or five feet above the ground to thwart squirrels from leaping over it into your feeders, while its pole should be at least eight-10 feet from any potential launch pads such as trees, fences or houses that might become an easy launching pad for leaping squirrels.

Use a cylinder feeder that only contains safflower seed to deter squirrels, which has an unpleasant bitter flavor that’s less appealing to squirrels than other bird seeds. While this won’t completely deter them from your feeder, it should help lower their numbers significantly.

If squirrels remain an issue for your yard, try installing a cage feeder with too-small-for-squirrel-to-fit-through slats to deter them. While setting this up might prove challenging, its effectiveness in keeping squirrels at bay makes it worthwhile – particularly if you want to attract finches, chickadees, titmice as well as woodpeckers, nuthatches or other backyard birds!

Easy to clean

Feeding birds in your yard can be a fulfilling hobby that allows you to observe and learn more about wildlife. But feeding wild birds comes with responsibility: your bird feeders should remain free from disease-causing bacteria and decayed food by regularly cleaning your feeders and baths and discarding old seed.

To clean a bird feeder or bath properly, the best method is either to use a special bird feeder brush, hot tap water and white vinegar, or soap should never be used, since soap residue can leave harmful lingerings behind. In regards to birdbaths specifically, changing out the water every three days during warm weather and more frequently in rainy or wet conditions will prevent algae growth while killing any mosquitoes that might be hiding out there.

Suet feeders provide high-energy food sources for woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees and titmice. There are two styles of suet feeders: wire cages designed to hold blocks of suet or pieces of wood on which peanut butter or suet can be spread; should you opt for the latter option it’s important to apply protective sealant or linseed oil so the finish lasts as long as possible.

Your bird feeder should be placed in an open area away from bushes or other places where cats or other predators could hide and ambush birds, and high above any trees or shrubs where squirrels could climb. Alternatively, plant some seed-producing plants in your yard such as mulberry trees, black-eyed susans or sunflowers which produce seeds to attract birds without needing a feeder.

Backyard birds and feeders offer an engaging activity for children during winter. You can even involve them in creating low-cost, easy-to-clean homemade feeders from recycled materials – this makes an engaging activity for families or scout troops, and will equip your young ones with valuable outdoor skills they will carry forward throughout their lives.