Do you like seeing birds in your backyard? If you would like to see more, follow New England Birdhouse’s Top 5 Tips for a “Bird-Friendly Backyard”.
American Goldfinch
Tip #1 – Safety First
Where we see beauty in the vibrant red flash of a male cardinal, a cat sees lunch. Keeping cats away from bird feeders can be difficult if not impossible, unless the cat is kept indoors. Unfortunately many people believe that if they put a cat out the front door, their backyard birds will not be threatened – not true. Cats eat birds, other birds notice and all birds go away – so keep your cats inside.
It is good practice to locate bird feeders and bird bath stations relatively close to vegetation so birds can quickly escape into trees or shrubs when threatened. Also, if birds are flying into your windows or patio door, apply a warning sticker or window cling to make them take notice. Images of spider webs or bird silhouettes are good window crashing deterrents.
Tip #2 – Add a bubbling bird bath, not just your grandmother’s bird bath.
Fill basins with pebbles for bird safety
Growing up I remember a heavy concrete bird bath that sat in the lost corner of my grandmother’s back yard. It was always full of water, but never birds. The truth was that the bird bath was full of stagnant rain water, and the birds had no interest in it. Birds love fresh, clean, moving water and a bird-healthy backyard will have at least one source, maybe two, during the hotter stretches of the year.
There is a wide variety of bird baths and fountains available to meet any budget or garden decor. When choosing a bird bath, remember that birds are attracted to water in motion, so a bubbling fountain is always a good first choice.
For the safety of the birds, the water basin should be at least 15″ – 16″ wide and about 1″ deep. It’s also good practice to add a water heater to the basin during the coldest winter months. This will provide the birds with a much needed source of water during the icy winter.
Hopper feeder
Tip #3 – Keep a well stocked variety of bird feeders.
Attracting birds and keeping them coming back requires variety and consistency. One common mistake is to let a bird feeder go empty, telling birds that the seed train has left town. Check bird feeders regularly, especially if feeding perishable items like suet, fruit or nectar.
Different birds eat different things. Robins eat mostly soft fruit, worms and insects off the ground, whereas goldfinches prefer thistle from a suspended bird feeder. Most people create backyard bird feeding stations for songbirds (chickadees, wrens, cardinals, sparrows, goldfinches). If that is your preference here are my recommendations on where to begin.
- Starter combo: Hopper or platform feeder with songbird mix
A hopper feeder generally holds 3-5 lbs of food and is popular with most of the seed eating birds that will visit your backyard. They are easy to fill and maintain, come in a variety of styles and configurations (see Squirrel Proof) and make a great focal point in a garden’s decor. Consider the view from inside as well, because where it looks best in the garden, may not be a good view from the kitchen window.
Suspended Platform Feeder
Most backyard birds will feed at a platform or fly-through feeder. They can be placed on the ground, or suspended from a pole or limb. Cardinals are especially attracted to these feeders. Seed can also be placed directly on the ground.
Songbird seed mixes usually contain at least black oil sunflower seed, millet, cracked corn and sometimes peanuts, berries and fruit. Birds that thrive on songbird mixes are cardinals, chickadees, finches, nuthatches, juncos and grosbeaks. There are premium mixes which contain a higher amount of sunflower, peanut and fruit, with less “filler” seed like white proso millet and red milo.
Clinger Feeder
- Add a specialized feeder
If there is a special bird that you would like to see in your backyard, there is probably a specialized feeder for it. For example, the white-breasted nuthatch is a called a clinger, because they cling rather than perch while feeding. Clinger feeders are uniquely designed to hold their food while the birds feed.
My favorite feeders for clingers: Thistle Feeder, Suet Basket, Songbird Tube
Other specialized feeders to consider: Hummingbird Feeder, Fruit Feeder, or Oriole Feeder
Tip #4 – Create Nesting Opportunities
Spring is egg-laying time, so expect birds to be scouting for a home at the end of winter. Most backyard birds are either cavity nesters (bluebirds, chickadees, nuthatches, owls and woodpeckers) or cupped platform nesters (mourning doves, robins, cardinals, hummingbirds). To encourage birds to nest in your backyard:
- Install a Bird House
Bird Nester
There are many different types of bird houses available for cavity nesters. Research the birds that you would like to attract, and select a bird house accordingly (colony vs. single nest chamber, nest chamber size, entry hole size, etc). Most houses should be located 5′ – 10′ off the ground, on a metal pole or wooden column. Check mounting instructions for your specific bird house before installation.
- Hang a Nest Bag
Suspending an onion bag filled with soft fibers (drier lint, animal hair, 3″or less strands of wool, cotton or hemp, coconut fiber, etc.), will encourage birds to build their nest nearby. Bird Nesting Material kits are also commercially available.
- Be polite and make a good impression
Recent studies show that birds can recognize and remember people who have threatened them in the past. Keep your distance from an active nest and it’s likely that the birds will remain in the area, returning to your backyard to nest again.
House Wren
- Beware the house wren
House wrens will destroy the eggs of other birds within 100 yards of their home, and have led to a sharp population decline of Bewick’s Wren in the eastern United States. There are methods available to discourage house wren nests (like wren guards), but remember that it is against the law to destroy a house wren nest with eggs, fledglings or adult wrens occupying it.
Tip # 5 – Deter & Feed Critters and Other furry varmints
The attraction of a never-ending source of fresh food and water is not limited to wild birds alone. Prepare your self, and your backyard, for the eventual visits of the four legged variety of animals like squirrels, deer, chipmunks, raccoons, opossums and even bears. Don’t be dismayed by the foraging of furry critters at your feeding stations, but rather place deterrents between them and the wild bird seed. Consider providing a specific food and feeder for them at another location in your yard and safely enjoy their company.
Will Work for Food
- Critter Proofing & Deterents
The most common threat to bird feeders are squirrels. There is no stopping a squirrel on a mission for food (see video), and the best you can hope for is to slow them down or distract them. Locate a bird feeder at least 5′-7′ from any jumping off point like a tree or roof, and consider using a top or bottom mounted squirrel baffle to impede their climbing.
There are many “squirrel proof” bird feeders available, all of which perform differently to deter and disuade the tail twitchers from feeding. Some bird feeders close when the squirrel steps on the seed tray, or flip the squirrel off the bird feeder when they pounce.
Another successful tactic for dealing with invading critters is to feed them separately. Establish feeding stations for squirrels, racoons and deer in a seperate area of your yard. Unique backyard animal feeders and food are commercially available. There are even squirrel feeders that turn irritation into entertainment, by giving a corn cob munching squirrel a twirl while they feed.
By following New England Birdhouse’s Top 5 Tips for a Bird-Friendly Backyard, your backyard will become a haven for wild birds.
“by Bill Askenburg, Owner & Artisan – New England Birdhouse. We specialize in fine architectural bird houses and feeders, offering handcrafted custom and stock replica bird houses and backyard birding supplies and garden decor. For more information or articles please visit our blog.”
1 comment
Suzi Q says:
August 17, 2009 at 12:11 pm (UTC -5 )
This is a great article, so helpful! Thank you very much, my birds thank you too.