Wild Bird Feeding - Attracting Songbirds To Your Garden

Spring will be here soon, but there's still quite a bit of cold weather left. With natural foods still covered by snow, and getting harder to find; there is no better time to start feeding wild birds.

What Do I Feed Them?

Well, that depends upon what type of birds you want to attract. Most of us like to see traditional songbirds like Chickadees and Cardinals. Certain birds, like Starlings, can be annoying because they will chase the other birds away and monopolize your feeders.

However, luckily for us, most birds like different types of foods. By knowing what they like and don't like, we can pretty much determine who will visit our feeders.

Most songbirds like two basic types of seeds: Sunflower and White Millet.

There are several types of Sunflower seeds available (black oil, black striped, and grey striped), but the Black Oil Sunflower seed seems to be the most attractive to songbirds. The chart below shows the different types of birds that you will attract using a mix of Black Oil Sunflower seeds and White Millett seeds. These seeds are readily available at most grocery stores and home centers.

Where Do I Feed Them?

There are many different types of birdfeeders to choose from. What you ultimately choose is up to you, but a few things to think about are:

• Feeders should be durable and weatherproof. They should keep the seed dry, yet allow easy access to the seed for your feathered friends.
• The feeder should be easy to clean. Metal and plastic feeders are, in general, easier to keep clean than wooden feeders.
• A feeder should hold enough seed so that you are not constantly refilling it.
• If squirrels are abundant in your area, consider placing a baffle above hanging feeders or below on pole feeders.
• Place feeders where birds can dine in peace and safety. Placing feeders near bushes and trees will give birds more places to perch and escape from predators such as hawks.

When Do I Feed Them?

Once you start feeding wild birds, you shouldn't stop. Birds come to depend upon the feeder as a source of food. You will notice that different types of birds will arrive throughout the season to enjoy what your "restaurant" has to offer!

How Can I Identify What Kind of Birds I See?

There is nothing more fun than seeing your first visitors arrive at your feeder. To know who you're seeing, it's great to have a bird identification handbook such as The Audubon Backyard Birdwatcher: Birdfeeders and Bird Gardens to help identify your birds. When you purchase such a guide, just be sure that you are buying a book that covers the area where you live.

FREE Bird Watching Journal for Kids!

It's also great fun to keep track of the variety of birds that come to your feeder and when you see them. Click here for a FREE Bird Watching Journal. Print out as many copies as you would like, and let your kids use them to record information about your backyard visitors. The page also includes pictures of songbirds which your kids can color to match the birds they see at your feeder.

Feeding wild birds can be a very enjoyable family project. Take good care of our "fine feathered friends" and they will reward you with their beautiful colors and songs!

Please refer to our Gardeners' Potpourri Archive for additonal articles.