How to Attract and Feed Birds

The first thing you should know about bird feeding is that there are 4 basic types of bird feeders. Each is very simple to acquire or make. These are:

Sunflower seed bird feeder: A hanging or pole mounted feeder containing only sunflower seed. This is because sunflower seed is the preferred seed for most songbirds.

Ground or tray bird feeder: A ground (seed placed directly on the ground) or tray-type feeder containing cracked corn and mixed seed.

Suet bird feeder: Suet is a type of hard beef fat found near the kidneys and loins. It is placed in a wire cage or mesh bag and hung.

Water in any shallow container, either on the ground or above it.

A sunflower seed bird feeder will attract the following birds:

Black-capped chickadee, Carolina chickadee, white-breasted nuthatch, tufted titmouse, red-breasted nuthatch, cardinal, American goldfinch, purple finch, house finch, pine siskin, downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, red-bellied woodpecker, red-headed woodpecker, common flicker, evening grosbeak, starling, house sparrow, blue jay, scrub jay.

When you first begin feeding your local birds (you have no feeders up yet), place the bird feeder away from your house in a place that is visible to you but is also near some trees or bushes. This will make the birds feel safer about coming to the feeder. As they start coming to the feeder each day and are more used to it, you can gradually move the bird feeder closer to your house.

You should definitely install a baffle on your feeder. A baffle a device used to keep squirrels and other animals from getting to the seed. Often it is a clear plastic dome that goes over the top of the feeder, so that a squirrel that leaps onto the feeder is made to slide right off again.

Here are the types of sunflower seed:

• Grey-striped seed (largest).
• Black-striped seed (medium sized).
• Black-oil sunflower seed (smallest).

All types are enjoyed by most songbirds but the black-oil seed is the most preferred. The shell is thinner than the other two and so is easier to remove, in addition to the seed having the highest oil content for its weight.

How to Choose the Best Sunflower Seed Feeder

We recommend getting a high-quality bird feeder right at the start. It will last for years and will be worth it in terms of the enjoyment you'll get watching all the birds you've attracted. Here are some important to look for in selecting a bird feeder:

• Ensure that the feeder can hold a lot of seed so you don't have to refill it very often.
• The feeder should come apart easily for cleaning.
• Filling the feeder should be easy.
• Any clear parts should be plastic and not glass.
• The feeder should protect the seed from getting wet.
• Perches should be made of metal and openings should be reinforced (metal or otherwise) so that they cannot be chewed by squirrels.
• The feeder should have a manufacturer's guarantee or at the minimum be returnable to the retailer if defective (Lone Star Bird Houses has such a policy).

Ground or Tray Bird Feeder

For this type of feeder use cracked corn and mixed seed that contains sunflower, white proso millet, peanut hearts, cracked corn and safflower.

A ground or tray-type bird feeder will attract the following birds:

Cardinal, dark-eyed junco, white-throated sparrow, white-crowned sparrow, fox sparrow, American tree sparrow, song sparrow, mourning dove, pigeon, tufted titmouse, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, scrub jay, crow, house sparrow, starling, brown-headed cowbird, common grackle, red-winged blackbird, rufous-sided towhee, ring-necked pheasant, nothern bobwhite.

This type of feeder is very easy to create! Simply scatter the seeds directly on the ground in an area with short grass, on concrete, or on snow, etc., or place the seed on an elevated feeder tray. You could construct your own by stacking up bricks at four corners and placing a cookie sheet on top. Seeds on the ground can be scattered in a large area, such as 8 by 8 feet, so that many birds can feed at the same time.

Advantages of a Ground Feeder

• Attract additional kinds and greater numbers of birds.
• Spacious area for viewing.
• Squirrels and large birds will feed here, keeping them away from the more expensive sunflower seed in your hanging feeders.

Suet Feeder

Suet is placed in a wire or mesh container which is hung or attached to a tree trunk.

Here are some different types of suet containers:

• Wire cage - this can be bought, looks nice, will last a long time and is easy to fill.
• Onion bag - this is simply the mesh bag your onions cam in.
• Suet log - cold suet can be hammered into the holes in the log. It is about 2 inches in diameter and a foot and a half long. This feeder simulates a natural feeding environment.

Water

All birds need water for drinking and bathing. You will attract additional birds such as robins and thrushes if you have water available.

You can create a simple bird bath by turning a trash can lid upside down and filling it with water. When buying a commercial bird bath, make sure the water will be no more than 3 inches deep. Small songbirds do not like the water to be any deeper than that.

Place your bird bath near your bird feeders (but not so near that seeds easily fall into it). Shrubs nearby also make the site attractive to birds with the perches they provide.

If you live in a climate where the water in the bird bath may freeze in the winter, a commercial bird bath with heater is best. The heater does not harm the birds and uses very little electricity.

When to Feed Birds

Although you may certainly begin feeding birds at any time, the best time to start is in early fall. Don't worry about the birds eating only from your feeders and forgetting how to find their own food - they won't forget. You can stop feeding the birds in the spring when when other foods become more plentiful, or you may feed them all year round.

More Feeding Tips

• Purchase bird seed in large amounts to keep the cost down.
• Store seed in clean, dry, covered containers.
• Use a plastic pitcher to scoop and pour seed into feeders.
• Clean feeders regularly with soap and hot water. Remove all old and moldy seed and seed hulls.

More Ways to Attract Birds

• Put out fruit such as orange slices for tanagers and orioles.
• Baked goods.
• Chopped nuts (without shells).

The Favorite Seeds of Specific Birds

1. Chickadees, Titmice, Cardinals, Nuthatches: black-oil sunflower seed, suet, safflower seed.
2. Doves, Pigeons: cracked corn, millet, milo.
3. Jays: Red milo, sunflower seed, milo, suet.
4. Juncos and Sparrows: white millet.
5. Finches: thistle seed (also called "niger"), sunflower seed, safflower seed, millet.
6. Hummingbirds: sugar water. You can make this by mixing 1/4 cup sugar with 1 cup water and boiling it. Let this cool before pouring it in the hummingbird feeder.
7. Woodpeckers: suet, sunflower seed.
8. Mockingbirds, Bluebirds, Robins, Orioles: fruit, such as apples, raisins, bananas, currants and for Orioles, orange slices and suet.
9. Sparrows, Blackbirds: sunflower seed, corn, millet.
10. Tanagers: suet.
11. Indigo Buntings: sunflower seed, millet, thistle seed.
12. Grosbeaks: sunflower seed, safflower seed.