Feeding backyard birds seems easy enough: buy a bag of seed, fill a feeder and wait for the birds to show up. And honestly, that approach will probably work. But for anyone who already pays attention to wildlife, whether from a deer stand, a duck blind, a trout stream or the back porch, bird feeding is worth doing right.
The right seed can save you money and attract more of the birds you want to see. The wrong setup can waste food, draw pests or even put birds at greater risk. These bird feeding tips will help you choose better seed, keep hummingbird nectar fresh and place feeders where birds can feed more safely.
Bird Feeding Tips Start with Better Seed
Mixed seed is often the most common type available, but it may not be the best option. For starters, it’s usually more expensive.
For example, you can pay $10 for 10 pounds of mixed seed, or $20 for 40 pounds of black oil sunflower seed. If you’re a casual feeder, mixed seed works fine. If you’re more serious, consider buying single seed types. You can also save money by buying in bulk.
Another downside to blends is waste. Different seeds serve different purposes and preferences.
Arboreal feeders like cardinals, grosbeaks and finches prefer sunflower seeds, which they’ll selectively pick from the mix.
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Some species will also pick out round seeds like millet, but millet is preferred by ground feeders like sparrows, juncos and towhees, so you’re better off spreading it under the feeder.
The more variety of seed you offer, the more variety of birds you’ll get, but provide it in pure form. Smaller finches like goldfinches and siskins prefer smaller seeds like Nyjer, often sold as thistle seed, which requires a smaller mesh or feeder slot that larger seed won’t fit through.
Cracked corn is more universal, but it is also best provided on the ground or on platform feeders rather than in hanging feeders.
Offer More Than Seed
Birds don’t just eat seeds. While we might think of the species nesting around our neighborhood as residents, they’re often just visiting for a few months.
Many spend as much as two-thirds of the year in tropical or subtropical regions, where they subsist largely on fruit.
Orange slices are a popular way to attract orioles and may also draw fruit-eating visitors like tanagers. The same is true for raisins, and anyone who has blueberry bushes knows how attractive ripe berries are to birds.
Species like warblers and vireos are insectivores, and they’ll gobble up mealworms.
Keep Hummingbird Feeders Clean and Safe
Hummingbirds are fascinating creatures, able to beat their wings between 50 and 80 times per second while hovering in place. They can be attracted with specialized feeders designed to hold nectar, and there are better ways to do that as well.
First is getting the right mixture, which consists of a 1-to-4 ratio of white sugar and boiling water. Let it cool before hanging the feeder. Don’t use red dye, honey or artificial sweeteners, as they could be harmful.
Next comes feeder care. Nectar should be changed and feeders cleaned regularly. Spoiled nectar will deter use and could even be fatal.
The same is true of mold that forms on neglected feeders. Change nectar and clean feeders every two to three days, and even more often during hot weather.
Hummingbirds are highly territorial, and competition can be fierce at a feeder. Multiple feeders should be placed 10 to 12 feet apart to reduce territorial squabbling.
The nectar may also attract insects. Regularly moving feeders just a few feet can cut down on bees. Placing a more concentrated nectar solution in a plate below the feeder might also draw them away.
Place Feeders Where Birds Have Cover
Chances are good that yours aren’t the only set of eyes watching the birds at your feeders.
The songbirds attracted by food can also attract predators. Small, fast bird-hunting hawks such as Sharp-shinned Hawks and Cooper’s Hawks are notorious for staking out feeders in search of an easy meal.
That’s why it’s better to offer some type of cover, like shrubs. Spread ground seed under the branches, and hang your feeders among them rather than out in the open.
Speaking of shrubs, planting fruit- and seed-producing shrubs is another way to enhance and diversify your bird buffet. It’s a small piece of backyard conservation: provide food, add cover and avoid creating new hazards for the birds you’re trying to help.
Four-legged predators can also be perilous. Domestic cats are estimated to kill between 1.3 and 4 billion birds annually in the United States. The majority are taken by feral cats, but healthy household pets also make good hunters.
Because they’re well fed, they may kill even when they don’t need the food. If you have outdoor cats, you may want to reconsider feeding birds, or at least skip the ground seed.
Bird Feeding Tips for Every Season
Many people are surprised to learn that you can feed birds year-round. If you do, you may want to vary your offerings to suit the season.
Unless you’re in the Deep South, hummingbirds will be gone before the first frosts, so you can take the feeders in early.
Don’t worry about leaving them out too long, as the birds know when it’s time to go. As cold weather sets in, calories become more important to fuel migration or keep winter residents warm.
This is when seeds like black oil sunflower really shine. You can go one step further and provide pure fat in the form of suet, which will attract chickadees, nuthatches and woodpeckers.
READ MORE: Ted Turner’s Conservation Legacy Means More to Sportsmen Than His CNN Fame
Learn What Works in Your Own Yard
The above are basic guidelines that you can customize and modify to suit your specific circumstances. Surrounding habitat will influence the types of birds most often visiting your feeders.
For instance, you might get more sparrows in grassland areas, and more common species like doves, pigeons and starlings in urban areas. In time, you’ll learn their preferences and can adjust accordingly.
Editor’s note: Thanks to FeatherSnap for providing the photos used with this story. The company makes solar-powered smart bird feeders with built-in cameras, Wi-Fi connectivity and an app that can help identify birds and log backyard sightings.