Providing food for wild birds can be a rewarding experience for many people. Watching colorful feathered visitors stop by your yard for a meal can brighten up your day. However, it’s important to offer birds the right types of foods to support their nutritional needs while avoiding harm. When setting up bird feeders, consider factors like the species present in your area, the time of year, and making sure food is fresh and plentiful. With a bit of planning, you can create a healthy bird cafe that becomes a popular stopover spot for local and migrating birds alike.
What Types of Food Do Birds Eat?
Birds have diverse diets depending on the species. However, there are some basics that apply to most backyard birds:
Seeds and Grains
Seeds and grains are a staple food source for many bird species. Good options include:
– Black oil sunflower seeds: These are a favorite of many birds like chickadees, nuthatches, sparrows, mourning doves, and cardinals. The sunflower seeds provide fat and protein.
– Safflower seeds: Smaller birds like finches, titmice, and cardinals enjoy safflower. The hard shells can be difficult for larger birds.
– Cracked corn: Doves, quail, pheasants, and other ground feeding birds will eat cracked corn. It’s high in carbohydrates.
– Millet: This tiny, round seed is eaten by sparrows, juncos, blackbirds, doves, and more.
– Nyjer seeds: Finches, siskins, and redpolls will flock to nyjer seed feeders. This tiny seed originates from Africa.
Fruit
Many birds appreciate fresh fruits like:
– Oranges, halved or quartered
– Apples or grapes cut in half
– Bananas sliced into chunks
– Berries
– Melons chopped into bite-sized pieces
Fruit provides birds with natural sugars for energy. Orioles, tanagers, grosbeaks, thrashers, woodpeckers, and mockingbirds are some species attracted to fruit offerings.
Nuts
Nuts offer fat, protein, and carbohydrates. They are relished by birds like:
– Chickadees
– Nuthatches
– Woodpeckers
– Jays
– Titmice
– Cardinals
Good options are shelled peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts, and walnuts. Chopped nuts and nut pieces allow smaller birds to eat them.
Suet
Suet is nutrient-dense animal fat provided in cakes or chunks in specialized feeders or mesh bags. It provides birds with fat and calories to get through cold months. Woodpeckers, nuthatches, wrens, chickadees, and other insect-eating birds frequent suet feeders, especially in winter.
Mealworms
Live or dried mealworms are loved by robins, bluebirds, wrens, and other insect-eating birds. This natural food source provides protein.
Sugar Water
Nectar-loving birds like hummingbirds thrive on a solution of plain white sugar dissolved in water. One part sugar to four parts water is a common ratio. Don’t add red dye, as this can be harmful to the birds.
What Foods Should be Avoided?
Some foods that seem appealing actually pose health risks for birds. Avoid the following:
Bread
Bread, crackers, pasta, and other people food are low in nutrition for birds. They can also promote fungal growth when they get wet and moldy. An exception is if you live somewhere with very harsh winters and birds are struggling to find other foods. Then these carb-heavy items can provide quick calories.
Spoiled or Moldy Foods
Discard any bird foods that smell bad, look slimy, or have visible mold. Spoiled foods can make birds sick.
Raw Dry Beans
Uncooked beans contain natural toxins. While wild birds won’t usually eat many beans, it’s best not to put them out just in case. Soaking beans before cooking removes the toxins.
Avocados
Raw avocados have persin, a fungicidal toxin that can be dangerous to birds. Cooked avocado flesh is fine. The skin and pit also contain toxins and should not be eaten.
Chocolate
Chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine, which are both toxic to birds. Avoid any chocolate-flavored foods.
Fatty Meats
Fatty meats like bacon or hamburger can go rancid quickly and pose a spoilage risk.
Salty Foods
Bird kidneys cannot process excess salt well. Avoid salted nuts, chips, pretzels, popcorn, salty crackers, cured meats, etc.
Alcohol
Fermented foods or drink can intoxicate birds. Keep alcoholic beverages covered and clean up any spills.
What is the Best Bird Food by Season?
The types of foods birds prefer and need varies somewhat by season:
Season | Recommended Foods |
---|---|
Spring |
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Summer |
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Fall |
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Winter |
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Where Should I Place Bird Feeders?
Location matters when putting out food for wild birds. Consider these tips:
– Place feeders in spots with natural cover like trees, shrbs, overhangs. This gives shelter from weather and predators.
– Avoid areas right next to windows. Collisions with glass will injure or kill birds.
– Position feeders 10-15 feet from cover. Birds want a clear vantage point to watch for danger.
– For ground feeders, choose sheltered spots under trees or shrubs. This protects birds from overhead attacks.
– Face feeder openings away from prevailing winds and rain. This keeps contents dry.
– Place multiple feeders in different spots to reduce crowding and allow views from all sides.
– Clean ground under feeders regularly to prevent buildup of waste food and bird droppings.
How Can I Keep Bird Feeders Clean and Safe?
Dirty feeders can lead to the spread of bacterial, viral, and fungal illnesses in birds. Follow these steps to maintain cleanliness:
– Discard and replace old, moldy, spoiled food promptly.
– Clean feeders with a weak bleach solution (1 part bleach to 9 parts water) every 2-4 weeks. Rinse thoroughly.
– Allow feeders to dry completely before refilling.
– Wear gloves when cleaning. Avoid touching used food or feeder contents.
– Use a bottle brush, old toothbrush, or pipe cleaner to scrub inside feeder tubes.
– For suet cages, replace suet regularly. Discard any suet that looks or smells bad.
– Remove dropped shells, hulls, and waste from the ground under feeders weekly.
– Move feeder locations periodically to avoid excessive buildup of waste in one area.
Proper feeder maintenance removes bacteria and keeps birds visiting your yard healthy.
What Kind of Bird Feeder Should I Use?
There are many styles of bird feeders available. Consider these factors when choosing feeders:
Seed Feeders
Tube feeders with small perches and openings are ideal for small birds like chickadees, finches and sparrows. Platform feeders with a flat surface allow access for larger birds like cardinals, jays, doves, and grosbeaks.
Suet Feeders
Suet feeders have cages to hold suet blocks or bags. Look for ones with tail props to allow woodpeckers to balance.
Fruit and Mealworm Feeders
Platform, cup, or mesh bag feeders are good for sliced fruit, mealworms, chopped nuts, and other soft foods birds eat piece by piece.
Nectar Feeders
Hummingbird feeders have red nectar reservoirs with small, moat-like openings to access the sugar water. Orioles prefer orange nectar feeders.
Ground Feeders
Tray and platform feeders sit on the ground for birds that prefer eating low down. Add drainage holes to keep food dry.
Hopper or House Feeders
Hopper feeders have large seed capacities, wide feeding areas, and sloped roofs to deter perching. They minimize wasted seeds.
How Much Food Should I Put Out?
It’s important not to overwhelm birds with more food than they can consume. Follow these tips:
– Start with small amounts of 1-2 feeders. Gradually increase offerings based on how quickly food is eaten.
– Add more feeders spaced around your yard to prevent crowding aggressive birds.
– Fill feeders when they drop to about 1/4 full. Top off suet as it shrinks.
– Offer just enough that birds are finishing most food each day. Remove expired food daily.
– Adjust amounts by season. Birds eat more in colder months when natural food is scarce. Reduce in warmer months.
– Offer approximately 1 pound of seed per feeder daily. For suet, start with 1-2 cakes per feeder.
– Provide ample fruit, mealworms, and nectar for birds that prefer these softer foods.
Monitoring feeder usage and adjusting food volume will prevent waste while giving birds steady nourishment.
Conclusion
Providing supplemental food for wild birds takes some planning, but the enjoyment of having colorful visitors flock to your yard is worth the effort. Tailor offerings to the species in your area and optimize nutrition by providing a variety of foods. Place feeders thoughtfully to create a safe, appealing space. Maintain cleanliness to protect bird health. Adjust amounts to avoid waste. With attentive feeding, you can create a rewarding bird feeding station that brings joy to you and vital sustenance to your wild neighbors. Feed birds generously through the seasons and they will thank you with their cheerful songs, bright plumage on display, and fascinating behaviors to observe as they dine.