How and What to Feed Wild Birds

Feeding wild birds is a hobby with many rewards

. In developed urban areas, the food supply for many wild birds becomes limited, due to the terrain which once provided plant and animal food resources being paved over.The most important reason to feed wild birds isto help birds to survive and thrive through the harsh winter months. The next best reason is thathaving your yard or garden full of colorful, vocal birds is something that makes the soul sing.

The first important question for most people is how to feed birds? Spreading the feed out on the ground is the most natural answer to the question of how to feed birds, but the downside here is that squirrels will also be able to consume it and the birds will be more vulnerable to predators, such as cats and snakes, while on the ground. For most people, the answer to this question will be commercial bird feeders and commercial bird food. Bird feeders come in a variety of capacities,so be sure to match the capacity of the feeder you purchase to the number of birds you are actually feeding. Excess food left in the bird feeder can become moldy over time and will need to be thrown out as it would be unhealthy for the birds to eat. Be sure to purchase a feeder that can easily be cleaned as you will need to do this fairly often.

What to feed wild birds? Types of food utilized depend on which bird species in your area you wish to attract. Types of food that can attract birds vary endlessly, only a few staples can be listed here. The single bird food most popular with the widest variety of species in the United States is probably millet. Quail, pheasants, pigeons, doves, towhees, blackbirds, starlings and finches all favor millet in their diet. Suet is a favored treat for many birds, especially in the harsh winter months when they need the energy density it provides. Tanagers, warblers, kinglets, cardinals, grosbeaks, buntings, robins, blue birds, thrushes, wrens, creepers, nuthatches, titmice, chickadees, magpies, jays, woodpeckers, and in the Southwest roadrunners all respond favorably to this treat. In cool to cold weather, you can simply use raw beef fat from a local butcher, but in hot summertime it will melt and grow rancid. In these months it is better to use commercially rendered suet cakes. Another answer to the question of what to feed birds is to plant flowers that produce seeds edible to birds, such as black-eyed susan's or sunflowers. Not only will this attractbirds, it will also beautify your yard. If that is not a possibility, you can purchase sunflower seeds, thistle and other seed available in different sized bags. By feedingthe birds, they will flourish and you will see and hearall the beautiful sights and sounds of your many feathered friends.

How and What to Feed Wild Birds

By: Rose Puff

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