Archive for January, 2010
If you have a birdfeeder in your yard, you may have dealt with “bully birds”. Bully birds are usually blackbirds, grackles, house sparrows, and pigeons who want the birdseed in your feeder or on the ground and will chase away your favorite birds so they can inhale it all.
Bully birds are usually bigger than the birds you are trying to attract with your feeder, so try to limit accessibility of the feeding ports and keep the area under the feeder as free of seed and suet as possible to discourage pigeons. It can also be beneficial to eliminate favorite bully bird foods from your bird feeding area-they seem to prefer bread, corn, wheat and sunflower seeds. Finches prefer hanging thistle bird feeders, while safflower seeds in hopper or tray feeders will appeal to cardinals, nuthatches, and chickadees.
If you enjoy bird watching but don’t have the time to venture out into the wilderness, attracting birds to your yard can be an easy way to appreciate winged wildlife at home. To get started, birdfeeders are the best way to attract wildlife. If birds have a reliable source of food, they will make nests near or even in your yard. Birdhouses can also encourage birds to live in your yard, but will often be taken over by bees or other nuisances. Birdbaths are great for viewing small birds at play, but should be placed in a semi-sheltered area (such as beneath a tree) to avoid notice of predators. For the winter months, you could even pamper your avian friends with heated bird baths.
Keep in mind that small birds will avoid locations that have nearby predators such as coyotes, hawks, or falcons.