Want to transform your backyard into a busy bird sanctuary year-round? The simplest advice is probably the best—almost like something your Grandma would say! Turning your backyard into a sanctuary does not mean huge expenses. It is a matter of routine, providing a little shelter, and understanding bird needs. Want to learn how to keep your feeders busy? Want to know how your breakfast leftovers can help birds lay stronger eggs? Let’s get started!
Bring Hummingbirds Right To Your Window!
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Birds repeat the same routines day after day just like us. To them, an empty bird feeder is just as if you walked up to a diner with a hanging CLOSED sign. If the diner isn't open, you won't go back. If you want to keep the patio diners coming back, keep a full feeder. During the winter storms, check your feeders more frequently. With enough visits the birds will begin to trust your feeders and will start visiting your bird feeders every day. That is where the true magic of bird watching will begin!
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Plant Sunflowers for a Natural Buffet.
Sunflowers are even more fun than they look! When the faded flowers turn to seed, they're a natural bird feeder. Finches, Nuthatches, Chickadees, and even Cardinals enjoy the treat and will put on a show for you as they munch away. You can watch the self stocking bird buffet from your window as the sunflowers brighten your garden. It's a feast for you and the birds!
Don’t Touch That “Messy” Brush Pile
The mess of twigs and branches you need to clean up is actually a nesting opportunity for small birds. Small songbirds need cover to shield themselves from predators, like hawks, and to protect themselves from the cold wind and storms. Your 'messy' corner is perfect for birds to shelter and take a break from eating. They offer protection and nesting opportunities. Your habitat is perfect.
How to Set Up a Heated Birdbath for the Winter
As winter sets in and every puddle and pond freezes, one place becomes popular with the neighborhood birds – the heated birdbath! Birds need water in winter to drink and also to clean their feathers, which is vital for insulation. Pavilion birdbaths prove to be more popular than many feeders. They help the birds attract a stunning variety of birds.
Safely Share Your Eggshells
Are you about to throw those breakfast eggshells? Don't do it! Eggshells are a great source of calcium that female birds need to produce strong eggs. **You will need to sterilize the eggshells to make sure that Salmonella is not a hazard.** Rinse the shells, then bake them at 250 degrees for 10 minutes, until dry. When cooled, crush the shells to the size of a dime. Sprinkle them on a platform feeder or scatter them on the ground to give the birds a calcium reward.
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Put up a suet feeder to attract clinging birds.
Suet is a cake with a high amount of fat. This gives a needed energy boost, as it is cold outside. Acrobatic birds are attracted to this, especially woodpeckers, nuthatches, and chickadees. Red bellied woodpeckers cling to the suet cage. Watching this is more fun than anything on TV. Put it where you can easily see it and enjoy the show.
Create a Mud Puddle
Do you have a place in your yard that is always muddy? If so, you've got a perfect construction supply store for birds! Robins use mud to build the sturdy cup-shaped nests that they need for their babies. Swallows also need mud for their nests. If you let a hose drip onto a bare spot in your yard, you are supplying a resource that will attract these birds to your yard during nesting season.
Keep Your Cats Indoors
This is the single most important thing you can do for your backyard birds. Keeping your cat indoors provides a safe space for birds to feed and nest. Even a well-fed cat is a natural predator and will kill any birds that venture into your yard. Your cat will also be healthier and will enjoy some nice windowside cat tv.
Use Bird-Friendly Lighting
When bright and white lights are used outdoors, they can confuse migrating birds and cause the birds to hit buildings. To avoid this, replace the lights outside your house with yellow-toned bulbs. Also, use motion sensors instead of keeping the lights on all night. Additionally, you can shield and point the light fixtures downward; this will reduce light pollution and keep the night sky safer for birds.
Allow a Section of Your Yard to Go Wild
That area that you “forgot” to mow is a hidden treasure! When native grasses and “weeds” like thistle mature and go to seed, they become an ever-changing buffet for finches, sparrows, and juncos. When your neighbors question you, just say it’s your designated “wildlife habitat area.” Your neglecting of lawn care is actually fantastic bird feeding.
Most Common Questions
1. Will feeding birds cause them to be lazy or not migrate?
It's a myth, and fortunately, it is incorrect. Many researchers and field studies have proven that wild birds primarily source their food from wild habitats. Your bird feeder is like a food corner store. It is open when food is scarce and the birds need to supplement their diets. Migratory birds feel the instinct to migrate from a food source, but from the day's length. You can feed the birds year-round without worrying.
2. What is the recommended frequency for cleaning bird baths and feeders?
Cleaning prevents birds from getting fatal diseases. Birdbaths should be cleaned and refilled with fresh water every 1-2 days. Seed feeders should be cleaned every 2 weeks, or sooner if they get wet. Clean feeders with one part distilled white vinegar to nine parts water. Scrub, rinse with plain water, and completely dry feeders before refilling.
3. What can I do to keep larger birds like starlings and grackles from coming?
It is challenging to handle what are often described as the bully birds. The most effective strategy is to use bird feeders designed to exclude these types of birds. Good examples of these feeders are those that have a wire cage enclosure with openings that are big enough to allow small songbirds to enter, but too small to allow the larger birds to enter. Another option are weight-activated feeders that close the feeding portals when activated by the weight of a larger bird. In addition, do not use loose or cheap mixed seed in exposed platform feeders, as these are favorites of starlings and grackles.
4. What can I do to keep birds from flying into my windows?
Birds are at risk of colliding with your windows. It is important to show them that there is glass there. You can make your windows glass more visible using special decals and stickers or tape on the OUTSIDE of the window. Decals should be placed vertically no more than 2 inches apart and no more than 4 inches apart horizontally. Another option is to hang strings or ribbons outside the window. If your window has a bird feeder that is close (within 3 feet) to it, it can actually be safer because birds do not have the space to build up a fatal flying speed when they get startled and fly away.
