Top 10 bird feeding tips

Use these 10 simple steps to enhance your wild bird feeding experience.

• Bird feeding is for people who love watching birds – Always place your bird feeders in places where you can readily and frequently see the birds you are feeding.

• Start with the basics – Black-oil sunflower in a tubular feeder is a very effective combination for attracting a large number of birds to your yard.

• Attract more species by adding additional types of feeders and seed – Try Nyjer in a tube feeder, and mixtures of black-oil sunflower, hulled sunflower and whole peanuts in hopper and platform feeders.

• Don’t forget about alternative foods and water – Suet, fruits, mealworms, nectar and water may attract species of birds not found at traditional offerings.

• The bird species in your yard change with season of the year – The birds visiting your feeders in summer may be very different than those in winter. Provide the feeders and food best suited to your seasonal suite of birds.

• Make your yard bird-friendly – Provide birds with habitat, food, water, and nest boxes so birds will use your yard year-round. Bird feeders near larger trees and shrubs often have more bird visits.

• Keep the birds safe – Reduce window collisions, keep birds safe from outdoor cats, and clean your feeders. Move feeders to within 3 feet of windows, remove hiding places of cats, and keep feeders free of debris and filled only with seeds birds will eat.

• Use binoculars and a backyard bird guide to learn more about your birds – Learning more about birds by using the tools of the birdwatcher provides you with a greater appreciation for your feathered friends.

• Take your hobby to the next level – Explore your local, state, and national parks and refuges. You will see bird species you can’t see in your yard.

• Enjoy feeding the birds! – Contact the NBFS anytime you have questions about bird feeding or for assistance in enhancing your bird feeding experience!

Prevent disease at your bird feeders

There are several diseases that wild birds can acquire at feeding stations if they are not properly cared for. Providing a safe-and-clean bird feeding environment will allow you to enjoy our feathered friends. Follow these simple steps and reduce the risk of disease at your bird feeders.

•  Provide birds with a large amount of space for feeding – While images of dozens of birds crowded on to a single feeder are beautiful, such events increase the likelihood of contact between sick and healthy birds and may increase a bird’s stress level while feeding, making them more susceptible to disease.  To prevent overcrowding, purchase feeders that minimize contact between birds and provide birds with additional places to feed.  

•  Keep the birds’ feeding area clean of both seed hulls and bird droppings – A clean feeding area can be maintained by sweeping or vacuuming the ground below the feeder.  One way to minimize the cleaning needed is to use no-waste seeds or seed mixes that contain hulled seeds and to offer only the preferred seeds for the bird species in your area. 

•  Purchase bird feeders that do not have sharp points or edges – Sharp points or edges may cause bleeding or scratches on birds that can facilitate the transmission of disease. 

•  Regularly clean your bird feeders – Feeders should be washed approximately once a month with a solution of 10 pecent bleach (one-part bleach to nine-parts water) by completely immersing feeders for at least three minutes and then allowing them to dry. Purchasing feeders that are made of materials that are easier to clean, such as metal and plastic, may make feeder cleaning easier. Scrub bird baths and change the water several times per week to prevent mosquito reproduction and the possible spread of West Nile Virus.

•  Store bird food appropriately and ensure that fresh seed is in your feeder – Use a rodent-proof container to store bird food and avoid having wet, moldy, musty-smelling seed in your bird feeder

or storage container. Your bird

seed should be stored in areas that are cool and have low humidity.  Providing feeders that protect

seed from the elements and using birds’ preferred seeds should reduce the chance of seed getting wet or moldy.