|
|
|
|
WILDLIFE LEARNING CENTER
The species you attract is determined primarily by the seeds your offer.
Black Oil Sunflower seed is a good, all-round birdseed. It is the hands-down favorite of all birds that visit tube and house type feeders. White proso millet is favored by birds who visit platform feeders (doves and sparrows). Ducks, geese and quail will eat corn.
Many of the cereal grains (corn, milo, oats, canary, wheat, rape, flax, and buckwheat) in mixed bird seeds are NOT favorites of birds that visit tube feeders.
Watch a feeder filled with a seed mix and you'll see the birds methodically drop or kick out most of the seed to get to their favorite - sunflower. Birds will also kick out artificial berry pellets, processed seed flavored and colored to look like "real" fruit.
Seeds that wind up on the ground are likely to be contaminated by dampness and bird droppings. If the birds don't eat them, rodents will. To avoid ground level shell debris, use hulled seed. We do not recommend filling seed tubes with hulled seeds and millet. The density of this combination does not permit air to rise between the kernels. Best results are achieved by filling with no more than 2 cups at a time.
THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO ATTRACT THE LARGEST VARIETY OF BIRDS TO YOUR YARD IS TO PUT OUT SEPERATE FEEDERS FOR EACH FOOD:
- starling-resistant suet feeder
- a house feeder for sunflower
- a bluebird feeder
- a wire mesh cage feeder for peanuts
- a nectar feeder
- a tube feeder for thistle
- a stationary or tray fruit feeder
- a house or platform feeder for millet
|
|
|