Back Yard Birds Are Like "Flying Piglets"

(First published on Hardisonink.com)

     My husband calls them “flying piglets,” because of the way the birds scarf down the seeds from their feeders so fast.  It seems that he is re-filling the feeders every day.

     We use black oil sunflower seed in the feeders because that’s the food more types of feeder birds prefer.  When we used the commercially-bagged seeds from a department store, the birds threw most of them onto the ground and just ate what they liked.  Although it can get pricey, the pleasure we receive from watching the birds makes it well worth it.  It amazes me, as I watch them, how attached I’ve become to them.

     Some other foods that will attract birds are cracked corn, millet, safflower, thistle, suet, and fruits.  To attract a larger variety of birds, and without the expense of buying foods, native plants that provide food and cover can be added to your landscape.  A list of good plants can be found in “Attracting Birds” online at http://brevard.ifas.ufl.edu/Forms%20and%20Publications/PDF/Attracting%20Birds2.pdf.

     The varieties of birds we have seen change with the seasons.  Right now we are getting visits mostly from finches, cardinals, and doves at our tube feeder.  There are other types of feeders that will attract different birds.  Platform feeders, for example, will attract finches, cardinals, grosbeaks, sparrows, blackbirds, jays, titmice, pigeons, and doves.  Other types of feeders are hopper, nyjer tube, hopper, suet, nectar, and fruit.

     To find out what type of feeder attracts the birds you like visit "Attracting Backyard Birds: Bird Feeder Selection” at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw192 .

     Locate your feeder where you have a good view, but be aware that in the US one billion birds die from flying into windows each year.  If you cannot place the feeder away from your house, then it is best to locate it nearer rather than farther away from a window.  Within 3 yards of a window is considered best.  Most birds collide with windows as they leave a feeder and if they are near the window they can’t build up enough speed to cause serious injury.

     Keep your cat indoors so that your bird feeder does not become an evening smorgasbord.  Cats kill hundreds of millions of birds each year in the US.  It will also help to place your feeder in an open area, on a pole, away from shrubs that can conceal cats and other predators that might stalk your birds.

     Providing a water source, such as a bird bath, trees and shrubs for cover from predators, and bird houses will also attract birds to your back yard.

     Throughout all the seasons, I hope the time you spend watching the various birds come and go will be a relaxing and enjoyable experience.

Sources:

Bird Feeding Basics, Kress, S.W., National Audubon Society

Attracting Backyard Birds: Bird Feeder Selection, Wilcox, E.V., Hostetler, M.E., Main, M.B., and Voigt, M., University of Florida IFAS Publication #WEC 162.