Bird Feeders–Using Them to Attract Birds to Your Yard

There is no sweeter sound to be heard in a garden then that of chirping birds enjoying the environment.  During the winter months, when a person is closed inside the house, nothing brightens up a day as watching birds enjoying a meal at your bird feeder.  And this sentiment is shared by over 70 million people in the United States and Canada.

By providing food and shelter to these feathered creatures, these considerate humans are playing an important role in helping birds survive at a time when the bird population is taking a beating.

By knowing what plants satisfy birds, it becomes quite easy to attract them into a yard.  Grosbeaks and cedar waxwings look for an assortment of berries.  Goldfinches like their thistle, chickadees look for sunflowers, hummingbirds search for nectar and blue jays, of course, like to pick through compost piles.  Birds, will, of course, hang out anywhere where they can find a good habitat and an assortment of feeders.

Other birds prefer the cover of dense shrubs.

Also, important to keep in mind is that birds need access to water year-round for preening their feathers to ensure good insulation and drinking.  An outdoor water fountain, bird bath or pond can be an attractive garden accent and, at the same time, an important habitat feature.

Another consideration that must be made is in the styles of feeders.  An assortment of several types will provide you with more of an assortment of feathered visitors.  For instance, chickadees will eat from almost any feeder, including the palm of your hand.  Other types of birds will, only, eat from a specific type of perch, feeding port or roof.  The more of a variety of feeders provided guarantees a wider variety of visitors.

Feeders come in three primary types: platform, suet and elevated perching feeders.  Platform feeders, which are, generally, situated at or a little above ground level, will attract a variety of ground-feeding birds such as cardinals and sparrows.  Suet is a rendered beef-fat that attracts insect-eating birds such as nuthatches, chickadees and woodpeckers.  Perching feeders, usually, have one or more seed ports with a perch.  They are, usually, hung 5 to 6 feet off the ground.  These types of feeders serve the culinary needs of finches, chickadees, blue jays and grosbeaks.  Most perching feeders are designed to hold various seed mixtures.  Thistle seed, the preferred food of finches, has a fine texture and, consequently, requires a feeder designed, specifically, for that seed.

If providing more than one feeder in your yard, separating them will encourage more birds to feed at the same time.

There is much pleasure to be found for the price of a feeder and a few pounds of bird feed.  Either way, this activity can become a life-saver for a lot of feathery friends and a source of joy for the caretaker.  We carry a large selection of bird houses, bird feeders, indoor/outdoor water fountains and garden statuary to beautify your home and environs.  There is something for every taste and every pocket.  Come check us out.

Nyjer Seed Bird Feeders Attract Goldfinches Like Crazy

Attract goldfinches as well as purple and house finches, pine siskins, and redpolls to your backyard with a nyjer seed bird feeder. You can choose one of the new wire mesh thistle feeders or one of the traditional thistle tube bird feeders. Then there’s always the old thistle sock bird feeder.

Nyjer, nyger, niger and thistle are all names used to refer to a small black seed cultivated in India and Ethiopia for over a thousand years. The true niger seed comes from the Guizotia abyssinica plant which is an annual herb grown for its edible oil and seed. It is NOT a type of thistle and is not a weed. As a matter of fact, it is now grown in the United States.

Niger seed probably got confused with thistle because goldfinches are known to eat thistle seed and use the downy fluff from thistle plants for their nests. In an attempt to differentiate these two terms in the mind of the public, the Wild Bird Feeding Institute trademarked the name Nyjer in 1998. I don’t think that this was successful however because most people still think Nyjer seed is some kind of thistle and a noxious weed if allowed to grow.

When you purchase Nyjer seed, many companies still use the word thistle on the package which has the unintended result of confusing the public even more. This bird seed is imported from India and Ethiopia and by USDA regulations must be sterilized, not to keep the niger seed from spouting, but to keep other noxious weeds that are incidentally mixed in with the niger seed from sprouting. You can now get non-sterilized, American grown niger seed right here in the United States.

Because Nyjer seed is so expensive (over a dollar a pound in 2008) it is important to feed this seed in specially designed feeders. A good Nyjer seed bird feeder will allow several birds to feed at once without excess seed being wasted. The thistle tube bird feeders should be your first choice in my experience. Small slits in the polycarbonate tubes of these feeders only allow the finches to pull out one seed at a time. This limits the amount of wasted seed.

The Nyjer seed bird feeders made of wire mesh would be my second choice. These feeders allow flocking goldfinches to feed wherever they land, plus some hold large amounts of Nyjer seed. They are probably best used with a seed tray below to catch spilled seed.

A thistle sack bird feeder is an inexpensive choice as far as the initial cost of the feeder goes. Made of durable, fine mesh nylon, these feeders allow as many hungry finches to feed as can comfortably hang on the thistle sack. They now are available in black which makes the beautiful goldfinches really stand out. These mesh bags will cost you more in the long run than the other types of Nyjer seed bird feeders because of wasted seed.

Which ever feeder you choose, you are guaranteed to have flocks of Goldfinches visiting your backyard!

Attract Interesting Birds To Your Yard With Platform Bird Feeders

There are many types of bird feeders and one popular style is the platform bird feeder. It is the kind of feeder which looks like a tray that is slightly elevated or totally mounted off the ground.

There is a difference between a hanging bird feeder and a platform bird feeder. In the hanging type, the seeds are placed on its small openings. The platform feeder on the other hand is obviously like a platform wherein you can easily place or scatter the seeds on it.

Platform bird feeders can also be used if you want to prevent squirrels from attacking the feeder. You can mount it off the ground by hanging it or using a pole to elevate it and a squirrel baffel wherein squirrels will not be able to reach it. You can also put a screen on the feeder so that squirrels will have a hard time reaching the bird seeds.

This type of feeder caters to the birds which feeds on the ground such as towhees, doves, sparrows, and even to bigger birds such as jays and grosbeaks. Recently, the manufacturers of bird feeder have started building and selling platform feeders maybe because of the fact that this kind of feeder is very easy to build.

Building one for your backyard is quite an easy task. It only requires few materials such as wood, wood glue, nails or screws and paint. Here is a guideline on how to make a platform bird feeder.

1. Start cutting the wood in sizes such as 16 x 10 inches for the back, 10 x 10 inches for the bottom, 2 x 10 inches for the front, 12 x 12 inches for the roof, and 12 x 10 for the sides.

2. Next is to attach the cut pieces together. Nail, glue or screw the back of the feeder to the bottom feeder. Make sure to do it properly to avoid any accidents.

3. Attaching the sides of the feeder to the back and bottom woods is the next thing to do. You can do this by either using a glue or nails. The roof is the last piece to be attached.

4. Paint your feeder for aesthetic purposes. Since you’ll be placing it in your back or front yard, beautifying the feeder is a must to serve as home decoration as well.

5. Place the feeder in your backyard by hanging or slightly elevating it from the ground.

The benefit of using a platform bird feeder is that it is very easy to mange. You can easily fill the feeder with bird seeds and it is very visible to the avian. Since most platform feeders are open, you won’t have a hard time scattering the seeds on it. It is also very easy to clean compare to other types of feeders.

The downside of this one is that it can be easily attack by squirrels and other large birds. The seeds can also be easily blown off during windy days which are not a good thing. It can also be a source of illnesses if it is not properly cleaned.

If you want to avail of the platform bird feeder without the hassle of doing it yourself, you can try buying it online or even in the nearest pet shops on your block. There are different kinds of platform feeders nowadays. The manufacturers keep on updating it with new designs to keep it more useful.

Platform feeders are the simplest and most basic style among bird feeders, but it can be utilized with any types of food and commonly used by all bird feeders. In line with this, the platform feeder is indeed very versatile among all feeding techniques.

What is the best way to attract birds to a bird feeder?

We just put up a bird feeder on our porch and want to know the best way to attract the birds. Thanks!

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How can I attract birds to my bird feeder?

I put up a bird feeder a couple of days ago, and not one single bird has come near it… I tried putting bird seed on the ground and I was successful in getting the attention of some blue jays, but they avoided the feeder…

Does anyone know why birds are avoiding my feeder?

Does anyone know how to get the birds to feed from my feeder?

Should I buy a bird bath?

BTW I live in south Florida….

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